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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. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. pit — in a race
  3. current — electric
  4. current — happening now
  5. wound — an injury
  6. kick — in football
  7. plane — a tool
  8. chest — of your body
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. last — final
  11. current — of water
  12. pass — a permit
  13. chest — of your body
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. last — to go on
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. last — finally
  22. wound — an injury
  23. chest — a box
  24. pass — to succeed

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