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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. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. He was locked up in a ________________.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. cell — in biology
  3. file — a tool
  4. pit — a hole
  5. track — a song
  6. file — a line of people
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. file — a document
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. track — a path
  15. cell — a phone
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. lean — thin
  18. cell — in a prison
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. track — to keep track
  21. lean — to bend
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. wave — with your hand

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