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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. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. pit — a hole
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. face — to point toward
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. squash — the sport
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. sharp — clever
  12. face — part of the head
  13. wake — a trail
  14. face — to confront
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. squash — to crush
  17. present — a gift
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. present — the time now
  20. stand — to bear
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. present — there
  23. pit — in a race
  24. sharp — with an edge

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