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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. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. can — a tin
  3. last — finally
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. can — a tin
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. land — ground
  8. last — final
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. press — a publisher
  11. land — to come down
  12. can — to be able to
  13. pit — in a race
  14. last — to go on
  15. season — of the year
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. fork — in a road
  18. press — newspapers
  19. press — to push
  20. season — in sport
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. land — a country

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