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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. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. wake — a trail
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. kid — to tease
  10. snap — to click
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. board — to get on
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. squash — the sport
  15. pit — in a race
  16. pit — a hole
  17. board — a committee
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. squash — to crush
  21. kid — child
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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