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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. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. cap — a hat
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. pit — in a race
  5. saw — the tool
  6. saw — the tool
  7. spell — letters
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. suit — to fit
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. spell — a short time
  15. spell — magic
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. cap — a lid
  18. suit — clothes
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. cap — of ice
  22. suit — in cards
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. ruler — a monarch

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