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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. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  24. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. game — a match
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. game — wild animals
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. pit — a hole
  9. wind — moving air
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. stem — to come from
  15. file — a line of people
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. lie — to recline
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. wind — moving air
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. file — a tool
  23. file — a document
  24. wind — to turn a key

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