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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. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. rest — what's left
  3. wound — an injury
  4. cap — a lid
  5. wound — an injury
  6. squash — to crush
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. pit — a hole
  10. cap — of ice
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. rest — a break
  13. pit — in a race
  14. cap — a hat
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. rest — what's left
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. squash — the sport
  23. pass — a permit
  24. squash — the vegetable

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