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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. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. face — to point toward
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. lie — to recline
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. saw — the tool
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. pit — a hole
  10. pit — in a race
  11. current — of water
  12. face — part of the head
  13. court — of law
  14. face — to confront
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. current — electric
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. court — for sport
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. saw — the tool
  21. court — of a king
  22. current — happening now
  23. deal — to handle
  24. deal — an agreement

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