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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  10. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. craft — boats
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. tear — from crying
  7. craft — a skill
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. tear — from crying
  10. tear — to rip
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. chair — a leader
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. mine — for digging
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. pit — a hole
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. chair — a professorship

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com