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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. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. object — a thing
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. pit — a hole
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. object — to protest
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. clip — to cut
  11. prune — to trim
  12. ground — the earth
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. prune — to trim
  17. object — an aim
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. clip — for paper
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. ground — crushed
  22. ground — a position
  23. lie — to recline
  24. clip — a video

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