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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. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  8. We're on a ________________ here.
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  16. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. roll — a cake
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. toast — the most admired
  8. roll — on a roll
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. lean — thin
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. tube — the underground
  15. roll — a list
  16. toast — a drink to someone
  17. tube — a container
  18. pit — a hole
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. toast — bread
  21. wound — an injury
  22. wound — an injury
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. lean — to bend

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