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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. We're on a ________________ here.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  9. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  19. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. roll — on a roll
  3. pit — a hole
  4. race — humankind
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. tear — from crying
  9. roll — a list
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. rash — a series
  13. roll — a cake
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. pit — in a race
  16. saw — the tool
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. race — the arms race
  19. tear — from crying
  20. race — a contest
  21. tear — to rip
  22. saw — the tool
  23. rash — hasty
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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