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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. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. drill — the tool
  3. stem — to come from
  4. spell — a short time
  5. pit — a hole
  6. tube — the underground
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. drill — army training
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. fine — all right
  11. spell — letters
  12. tube — a container
  13. drill — a practice
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. pit — in a race
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. spell — magic
  20. fine — high quality
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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