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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. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  24. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. suit — to fit
  5. spring — of water
  6. cap — of ice
  7. pit — a hole
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. wind — moving air
  10. suit — clothes
  11. wind — moving air
  12. cap — a hat
  13. spring — the season
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. hand — in cards
  18. cap — a lid
  19. foot — a measure
  20. pit — in a race
  21. hand — help
  22. spring — a coil
  23. wind — to turn a key
  24. temple — side of the head

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