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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. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. toast — the most admired
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. wound — an injury
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. bat — the animal
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. wound — an injury
  13. toast — a drink to someone
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. bat — in an idiom
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. lie — to recline
  18. pit — in a race
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. toast — bread
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. bat — for baseball
  24. arm — part of the body

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