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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: lean · wake · cabinet · kid · toast · season · pit · ruler

  1. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  23. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. season — in sport
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. toast — the most admired
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. pit — a hole
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. toast — a drink to someone
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. kid — to tease
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. wake — a trail
  17. pit — in a race
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. lean — to bend
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. kid — child
  23. toast — bread
  24. lean — thin

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