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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. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  2. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  5. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. Have you settled on a ________________?
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  22. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — to spread on bread
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. lean — thin
  4. jam — in traffic
  5. jam — a tight spot
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. chair — a professorship
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. stand — to bear
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. lean — to bend
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. foot — a measure
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. chair — a leader
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. date — the fruit
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. foot — the bottom

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