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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. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  19. False peace will not ________________.
  20. He was locked up in a ________________.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. At ________________, we arrived at the village.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. pit — in a race
  3. mate — to breed
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. cell — a phone
  8. hand — in cards
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. charge — a price
  12. mate — a partner
  13. last — final
  14. charge — electricity
  15. charge — in control
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. cell — in biology
  19. last — to go on
  20. cell — in a prison
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. hand — help
  23. mate — a friend
  24. last — finally

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