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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. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. pit — in a race
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. mate — a partner
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. current — electric
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. band — a music group
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. lean — thin
  11. current — happening now
  12. pit — a hole
  13. rush — hurry
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. mate — to breed
  16. band — a ring
  17. lean — to bend
  18. perch — the fish
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. current — of water
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. mine — for digging
  24. mate — a friend

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