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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. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  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. rest — a break
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. wound — an injury
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. scale — size or range
  6. jam — in traffic
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. sharp — clever
  9. cap — a lid
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. pit — a hole
  12. jam — a tight spot
  13. wound — an injury
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. cap — a hat
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. rest — what's left
  18. rest — what's left
  19. cap — of ice
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. jam — to spread on bread
  23. scale — in music
  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