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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. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  4. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. row — to paddle
  3. jam — to spread on bread
  4. wind — to turn a key
  5. face — to confront
  6. wind — moving air
  7. row — a line
  8. bulb — for light
  9. kick — in football
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. bulb — for light
  12. jam — a tight spot
  13. face — to point toward
  14. face — part of the head
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. pit — a hole
  17. foot — a measure
  18. jam — in traffic
  19. pit — in a race
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. wind — moving air
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. row — a quarrel

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