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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. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. pit — a hole
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. bank — for money
  6. bank — for money
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. lean — to bend
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. spell — magic
  11. spell — letters
  12. mate — a friend
  13. spell — a short time
  14. mate — to breed
  15. shower — rain
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. lean — thin
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. bank — of a river
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. shower — to wash
  23. mate — a partner
  24. shower — a meteor shower

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