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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. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. rule — a law
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. branch — a division
  11. pit — in a race
  12. suit — to fit
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. suit — clothes
  15. rule — government
  16. pit — a hole
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. snap — to click
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. sharp — clever
  24. suit — in cards

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