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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. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. present — there
  5. current — happening now
  6. lie — to recline
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. pit — in a race
  10. current — of water
  11. shower — to wash
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. plane — a tool
  15. shower — rain
  16. sharp — clever
  17. present — the time now
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. pit — a hole
  21. present — a gift
  22. current — electric
  23. calf — a young animal
  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