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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. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. pit — a hole
  4. kid — child
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. row — a line
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. pass — a permit
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. row — to paddle
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. kid — to tease
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. snap — to click
  22. pit — in a race
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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