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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. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. row — a line
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. bear — the animal
  9. pit — a hole
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. row — to paddle
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. bear — the animal
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. foot — a measure
  20. pit — in a race
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. fine — all right
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. fine — high quality

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