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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. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  7. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. mate — to breed
  3. pit — a hole
  4. fine — all right
  5. pit — in a race
  6. chest — of your body
  7. chest — a box
  8. deal — to handle
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. mate — a partner
  12. fine — high quality
  13. chest — of your body
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. bulb — for light
  17. lean — to bend
  18. wax — to grow
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. bulb — for light
  24. lean — thin

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