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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 120 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. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  2. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. chest — of your body
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. board — to get on
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. fine — all right
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. tear — from crying
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. pit — in a race
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. chest — a box
  14. pitch — completely
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. tear — to rip
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. chest — of your body
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. pit — a hole
  21. fine — high quality
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. board — a committee

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