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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. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  19. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  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. bat — in an idiom
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. bat — the animal
  4. fall — the season
  5. bat — for baseball
  6. pit — a hole
  7. fall — to drop
  8. pit — in a race
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. rash — a series
  11. bulb — for light
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. tear — to rip
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. rash — hasty
  16. fall — to drop
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. tear — from crying
  19. tear — from crying
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. bulb — for light
  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