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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 116 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. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. lean — thin
  3. rest — what's left
  4. pit — a hole
  5. land — ground
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. net — after costs
  8. rest — a break
  9. lean — to bend
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. suit — to fit
  12. net — for catching
  13. shower — to wash
  14. net — in sport
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. pit — in a race
  17. rest — what's left
  18. shower — rain
  19. land — a country
  20. suit — in cards
  21. suit — clothes
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. land — to come down

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