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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 116 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. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. wind — moving air
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. cap — a lid
  6. wind — moving air
  7. rock — a stone
  8. perch — the fish
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. cap — of ice
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. mug — to rob
  14. mug — a face
  15. cap — a hat
  16. mug — a cup
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. pit — in a race
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. rock — music
  24. calf — a young animal

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