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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. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. rock — music
  3. present — there
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. present — the time now
  7. can — a tin
  8. lean — to bend
  9. pit — in a race
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. lean — thin
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. can — to be able to
  14. present — a gift
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. rest — what's left
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. rest — a break
  19. rest — what's left
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. rock — a stone
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. can — a tin
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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