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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. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. mug — a cup
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. spring — the season
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. mug — a face
  8. rush — hurry
  9. pit — in a race
  10. mark — a grade
  11. press — to push
  12. mug — to rob
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. spring — a coil
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. pit — a hole
  18. press — newspapers
  19. sharp — clever
  20. press — a publisher
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. mark — a trace
  24. spring — of water

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