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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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468
Word bank
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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. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. row — to paddle
  8. pit — in a race
  9. can — to be able to
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. snap — to click
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. cap — of ice
  15. can — a tin
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. can — a tin
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. pit — a hole
  20. row — a line
  21. cap — a hat
  22. pass — a permit
  23. cap — a lid
  24. ruler — for measuring

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