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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 120 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. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. present — there
  4. present — a gift
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. season — of the year
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. suit — in cards
  11. land — to come down
  12. land — a country
  13. tear — to rip
  14. suit — to fit
  15. tear — from crying
  16. pit — in a race
  17. suit — clothes
  18. land — ground
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. pit — a hole
  22. tear — from crying
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. present — the time now

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