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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. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. pit — in a race
  3. tube — a container
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. tube — the underground
  9. spring — of water
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. spring — the season
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. spring — a coil
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. pit — a hole
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. fan — a supporter

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