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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. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. staff — employees
  4. rest — what's left
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. rest — what's left
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. lean — thin
  12. pit — in a race
  13. rest — a break
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. mine — for digging
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. staff — a stick
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. lean — to bend
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. mine — an explosive
  24. staff — employees

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