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

  1. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  2. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. vault — a safe
  4. pit — in a race
  5. bat — the animal
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. foot — a measure
  8. bat — for baseball
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. tear — from crying
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. tear — to rip
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. pitch — completely
  17. pit — a hole
  18. lie — to recline
  19. tear — from crying
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. straw — a straw man

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