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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 116 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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. mug — a cup
  4. pit — in a race
  5. fine — all right
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. pit — a hole
  9. wind — moving air
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. wind — to turn a key
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. chair — a leader
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. mug — a face
  16. file — a line of people
  17. wind — moving air
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. file — a document
  20. stem — to come from
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. file — a tool
  24. fine — high quality

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