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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. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. rest — a break
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. rest — what's left
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. tube — a container
  7. kick — in football
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. stem — to come from
  10. object — to protest
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. rest — what's left
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. object — an aim
  15. rock — music
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. rock — a stone
  18. pit — in a race
  19. tube — the underground
  20. sharp — clever
  21. object — a thing
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. pit — a hole
  24. rock — to move gently

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