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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 116 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. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. tear — from crying
  3. pit — a hole
  4. rush — hurry
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. tube — a container
  8. mark — a grade
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. mark — a trace
  11. tube — the underground
  12. prune — to trim
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. pit — in a race
  19. tear — from crying
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. prune — to trim
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. tear — to rip

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