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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. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. lie — to recline
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. pit — in a race
  6. mug — a cup
  7. tube — the underground
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. staff — a stick
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. tube — a container
  12. stand — to bear
  13. mug — to rob
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. mine — for digging
  16. mug — a face
  17. cap — of ice
  18. staff — employees
  19. pit — a hole
  20. cap — a hat
  21. staff — employees
  22. cap — a lid
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. mine — belonging to me

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