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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. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. foot — a measure
  5. face — to point toward
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. pop — to visit
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. pit — a hole
  11. face — part of the head
  12. pop — soda
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. pit — in a race
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. face — to confront
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. shower — to wash
  21. shower — rain
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. pop — music
  24. shower — a meteor shower

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