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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. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. pit — in a race
  4. face — to point toward
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. spring — a coil
  9. prune — to trim
  10. bank — for money
  11. spring — of water
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. kick — in football
  15. rush — hurry
  16. bank — for money
  17. prune — to trim
  18. face — part of the head
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. bank — of a river
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. spring — the season
  23. face — to confront
  24. pit — a hole

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