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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 120 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. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. present — there
  3. pit — a hole
  4. rush — hurry
  5. present — the time now
  6. bark — to shout
  7. pit — in a race
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. bound — certain
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. lie — to recline
  16. saw — the tool
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. bound — obliged
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. saw — the tool
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. bound — tied together
  24. present — a gift

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