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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 looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. wound — an injury
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. branch — a division
  6. cap — of ice
  7. tear — from crying
  8. bound — obliged
  9. bound — tied together
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. tear — to rip
  13. wound — an injury
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. bound — certain
  16. pit — in a race
  17. mate — a friend
  18. cap — a lid
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. cap — a hat
  21. pit — a hole
  22. mate — a partner
  23. mate — to breed
  24. tear — from crying

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