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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 124 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. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. chair — a leader
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. bank — of a river
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. bank — for money
  10. wound — an injury
  11. bank — for money
  12. pit — in a race
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. wound — an injury
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. scale — in music
  18. deal — to handle
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. scale — size or range
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. leaves — of a tree
  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