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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. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. bear — the animal
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. rash — hasty
  6. clip — for paper
  7. lean — thin
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. pit — in a race
  10. ball — a great time
  11. lean — to bend
  12. pit — a hole
  13. clip — a video
  14. pass — a permit
  15. ball — a dance
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. rash — a series
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. foot — a measure
  20. bear — the animal
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. clip — to cut

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