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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. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. file — a line of people
  3. net — in sport
  4. wax — to grow
  5. mate — a friend
  6. net — for catching
  7. net — after costs
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. pit — a hole
  10. sharp — clever
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. file — a tool
  15. pit — in a race
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. file — a document
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. mate — to breed
  22. mate — a partner
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. fan — a supporter

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