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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 124 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. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  11. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  22. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. can — a tin
  3. can — a tin
  4. clip — for paper
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. row — a line
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. clip — a video
  11. toast — a drink to someone
  12. pit — a hole
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. row — to paddle
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. mine — for digging
  19. toast — the most admired
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. clip — to cut
  22. toast — bread
  23. kick — in football
  24. can — to be able to

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