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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 120 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. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. pit — in a race
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. pit — a hole
  10. wound — an injury
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. can — to be able to
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. stem — to come from
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. can — a tin
  18. wound — an injury
  19. lie — to recline
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. can — a tin
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. snap — to click
  24. lie — an untruth

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