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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. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. pit — in a race
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. rest — what's left
  6. pit — a hole
  7. squash — the sport
  8. bat — for baseball
  9. rest — what's left
  10. bat — in an idiom
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. squash — to crush
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. rest — a break
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. snap — to click
  19. saw — the tool
  20. lean — to bend
  21. bat — the animal
  22. saw — the tool
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. lean — thin

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