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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. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. The water is too ________________.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. tube — a container
  3. cold — not warm
  4. bound — certain
  5. kick — in football
  6. cold — the Cold War
  7. season — of the year
  8. bank — of a river
  9. mug — a cup
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. bank — for money
  12. bound — tied together
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. pit — in a race
  16. bank — for money
  17. bound — obliged
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. tube — the underground
  21. mug — a face
  22. cold — an illness
  23. season — in sport
  24. mug — to rob

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