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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. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. key — the most important part
  3. key — for a lock
  4. pit — a hole
  5. rest — a break
  6. face — to point toward
  7. face — part of the head
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. pit — in a race
  10. bore — to drill
  11. rest — what's left
  12. charge — electricity
  13. face — to confront
  14. bore — to tire
  15. charge — a price
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. squash — to crush
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. charge — in control
  21. squash — the sport
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. key — in music
  24. rest — what's left

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