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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. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. We're on a ________________ here.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. mug — a face
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. stem — to come from
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. roll — on a roll
  7. pit — a hole
  8. roll — a cake
  9. tube — a container
  10. drill — army training
  11. mug — a cup
  12. lean — to bend
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. drill — a practice
  15. roll — a list
  16. bound — tied together
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. bound — certain
  20. drill — the tool
  21. tube — the underground
  22. lean — thin
  23. bound — obliged
  24. mug — to rob

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