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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. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. tear — to rip
  3. last — to go on
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. row — a line
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. key — the most important part
  10. last — finally
  11. tear — from crying
  12. mine — for digging
  13. pit — in a race
  14. pit — a hole
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. row — to paddle
  17. last — final
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. key — in music
  20. key — for a lock
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. craft — a skill
  23. tear — from crying
  24. craft — boats

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