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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. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. scale — in music
  3. pit — a hole
  4. lean — thin
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. mug — a face
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. craft — a skill
  10. mug — to rob
  11. bear — the animal
  12. lean — to bend
  13. present — the time now
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. craft — boats
  16. scale — size or range
  17. present — there
  18. mug — a cup
  19. bear — the animal
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. present — a gift
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. pit — in a race

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