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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. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  20. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. chest — a box
  4. current — electric
  5. chest — of your body
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. current — of water
  8. current — happening now
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. season — of the year
  11. tear — from crying
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. pass — a permit
  16. pit — in a race
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. season — in sport
  19. tear — to rip
  20. tear — from crying
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. chest — of your body
  23. pit — a hole
  24. calf — a young animal

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