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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. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. wind — moving air
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. wind — moving air
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. bore — to drill
  10. staff — employees
  11. staff — employees
  12. chair — a leader
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. wind — to turn a key
  21. pit — a hole
  22. bore — to tire
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. staff — a stick

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