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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. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. squash — the sport
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. season — in sport
  9. pit — in a race
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. pop — soda
  14. squash — to crush
  15. pop — music
  16. pit — a hole
  17. season — of the year
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. pop — to visit
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. stand — to bear
  22. plane — a tool
  23. wax — to grow
  24. season — to add flavour

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