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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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Word bank
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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: saw · roll · pass · pit · bay · rush · lie · sharp

  1. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  9. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. We're on a ________________ here.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. rush — hurry
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. pit — in a race
  6. sharp — clever
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. roll — a list
  9. roll — a cake
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. saw — the tool
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. saw — the tool
  14. roll — on a roll
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. lie — to recline
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. pass — a permit
  21. pit — a hole
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. sharp — with an edge

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