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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. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  6. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. pit — in a race
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. mark — a grade
  5. clip — for paper
  6. clip — a video
  7. spring — the season
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. mark — a trace
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. spring — of water
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. snap — to click
  19. clip — to cut
  20. lean — to bend
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. spring — a coil
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. pit — a hole

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