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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. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  24. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. present — there
  3. stand — to bear
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. present — the time now
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. present — a gift
  8. file — a line of people
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. march — the month
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. pit — a hole
  14. march — the month
  15. file — a tool
  16. shower — rain
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. shower — to wash
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. file — a document
  24. march — music

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