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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 120 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. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. rest — a break
  3. mate — a partner
  4. mate — to breed
  5. rest — what's left
  6. suit — to fit
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. suit — clothes
  10. mate — a friend
  11. suit — in cards
  12. tear — from crying
  13. ground — a position
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. ground — crushed
  16. rush — hurry
  17. tear — to rip
  18. pit — in a race
  19. rest — what's left
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. tear — from crying
  24. ground — the earth

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