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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. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  11. The water is too ________________.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. mug — to rob
  3. craft — boats
  4. mark — a trace
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. craft — a skill
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. pit — a hole
  10. cold — the Cold War
  11. cold — not warm
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. lie — to recline
  14. staff — employees
  15. staff — a stick
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. staff — employees
  20. mug — a cup
  21. mug — a face
  22. cold — an illness
  23. mark — a grade
  24. lie — an untruth

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