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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. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. pit — in a race
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. pit — a hole
  6. mate — a partner
  7. drill — the tool
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. drill — army training
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. rush — hurry
  12. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. drill — a practice
  17. mate — a friend
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. kid — to tease
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. kid — child
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. rush — to hurry

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