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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. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. pit — in a race
  4. pitch — completely
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. fall — the season
  7. ground — a position
  8. face — to confront
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. face — to point toward
  11. branch — a division
  12. ground — the earth
  13. stand — to bear
  14. fall — to drop
  15. pit — a hole
  16. sharp — clever
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. face — part of the head
  24. ground — crushed

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