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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. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. pass — a permit
  7. wake — a trail
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. wound — an injury
  12. can — to be able to
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. can — a tin
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. can — a tin
  18. wound — an injury
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. lean — to bend
  22. pit — in a race
  23. pitch — completely
  24. pit — a hole

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