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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. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. spring — the season
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. lie — to recline
  7. bear — the animal
  8. spring — a coil
  9. swing — to play on
  10. board — a committee
  11. pit — a hole
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. swing — music
  15. spring — of water
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. bear — the animal
  19. swing — in golf
  20. cell — in biology
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. cell — a phone
  24. board — to get on

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