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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 116 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. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. saw — the tool
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. wind — moving air
  5. suit — clothes
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. pit — in a race
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. ball — a dance
  10. hand — help
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. staff — employees
  13. wind — to turn a key
  14. staff — employees
  15. wind — moving air
  16. saw — the tool
  17. suit — to fit
  18. ball — a great time
  19. hand — in cards
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. staff — a stick
  24. suit — in cards

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