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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. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. wound — an injury
  3. rest — what's left
  4. mark — a grade
  5. rest — a break
  6. branch — a division
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. face — to point toward
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. craft — a skill
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. craft — boats
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. pit — a hole
  15. face — part of the head
  16. rest — what's left
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. pit — in a race
  19. mark — a trace
  20. wound — an injury
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. face — to confront
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. craft — a handicraft

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