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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 124 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. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. pit — a hole
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. season — of the year
  5. mate — to breed
  6. mate — a partner
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. mate — a friend
  13. mine — for digging
  14. pass — a permit
  15. season — in sport
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. snap — to click
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. pit — in a race
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. stand — to bear

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