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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. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. wound — an injury
  3. mate — to breed
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. scale — in music
  7. mate — a friend
  8. mate — a partner
  9. staff — employees
  10. pit — a hole
  11. wound — an injury
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. wound — past of 'wind'
  14. face — to point toward
  15. face — part of the head
  16. face — to confront
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. staff — employees
  19. staff — a stick
  20. rush — hurry
  21. scale — size or range
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. pit — in a race
  24. wave — with your hand

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