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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. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. lie — to recline
  3. mine — for digging
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. pit — in a race
  6. scale — size or range
  7. face — to point toward
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. pit — a hole
  10. stem — to come from
  11. craft — a skill
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. face — part of the head
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. scale — in music
  23. craft — boats
  24. face — to confront

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