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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 120 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. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  22. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. season — of the year
  3. plane — a tool
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. mate — a partner
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. firm — decided
  10. firm — steady
  11. tube — the underground
  12. pass — a permit
  13. chest — a box
  14. mate — a friend
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. tube — a container
  19. mate — to breed
  20. firm — a company
  21. chest — of your body
  22. chest — of your body
  23. season — in sport
  24. pit — in a race

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