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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. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. lie — to recline
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. stock — goods
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. last — finally
  8. last — to go on
  9. stock — shares
  10. wake — a trail
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. kick — in football
  13. fall — to drop
  14. pit — a hole
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. last — final
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. fall — the season
  19. fall — to drop
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. pitch — completely
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. kick — with a leg

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