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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. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  13. The water is too ________________.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. cold — the Cold War
  4. object — to protest
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. object — an aim
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. stem — to come from
  12. cold — an illness
  13. cold — not warm
  14. mine — for digging
  15. pit — in a race
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. object — a thing
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. kick — in football
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. pit — a hole

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