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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. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. face — to point toward
  3. staff — employees
  4. lean — thin
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. kick — in football
  7. pit — in a race
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. lean — to bend
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. tube — a container
  12. face — part of the head
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. tube — the underground
  17. staff — employees
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. pass — a permit
  20. face — to confront
  21. staff — a stick
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. pit — a hole

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