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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. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. suit — to fit
  3. bat — in an idiom
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. bat — for baseball
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. fall — the season
  10. pit — in a race
  11. fall — to drop
  12. fall — to drop
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. suit — clothes
  15. row — to paddle
  16. bat — the animal
  17. row — a line
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. hand — help
  22. suit — in cards
  23. pit — a hole
  24. hand — in cards

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