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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. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. pit — a hole
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. ground — the earth
  8. lie — to recline
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. season — in sport
  11. bear — the animal
  12. root — of a plant
  13. stand — to bear
  14. pit — in a race
  15. root — the cause
  16. root — of a word
  17. season — of the year
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. ground — a position
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. bear — the animal
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  24. ground — crushed

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