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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. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. object — a thing
  3. object — to protest
  4. field — a subject
  5. rest — a break
  6. object — an aim
  7. mug — a face
  8. mug — a cup
  9. spring — of water
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. press — newspapers
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. rest — what's left
  14. press — a publisher
  15. pit — in a race
  16. field — for sport
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. spring — a coil
  19. spring — the season
  20. mug — to rob
  21. wake — a trail
  22. press — to push
  23. field — farmland
  24. rest — what's left

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