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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. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. pit — a hole
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. sharp — clever
  12. capital — a big letter
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. lie — to recline
  15. capital — a city
  16. deal — to handle
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. file — a line of people
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. file — a document
  22. file — a tool
  23. capital — money
  24. deal — a big deal

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