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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. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. wound — an injury
  4. fine — all right
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. fine — high quality
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. mine — for digging
  10. wake — a trail
  11. present — the time now
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. pit — in a race
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. rash — a series
  18. wound — an injury
  19. rash — hasty
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. present — a gift
  23. pit — a hole
  24. present — there

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