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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.

Make a worksheet

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. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  14. Have you settled on a ________________?
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. can — a tin
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. foot — a measure
  6. can — to be able to
  7. chest — a box
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. pit — a hole
  10. pit — in a race
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. can — a tin
  13. chest — of your body
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. rule — government
  16. date — the fruit
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. rule — a law

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