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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. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  11. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  12. We're on a ________________ here.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  21. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. squash — to crush
  3. mug — a cup
  4. current — electric
  5. rule — a law
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. roll — a list
  8. rule — government
  9. current — happening now
  10. tear — from crying
  11. tear — from crying
  12. roll — on a roll
  13. mug — to rob
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. mug — a face
  16. current — of water
  17. pit — a hole
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. tear — to rip
  21. roll — a cake
  22. squash — the sport
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. pit — in a race

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