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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. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. lie — to recline
  3. pit — in a race
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. bulb — for light
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. wake — a trail
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. staff — employees
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. staff — employees
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. pit — a hole
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. bulb — for light
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. staff — a stick
  24. rush — to hurry

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