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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 120 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. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — a box
  2. bound — tied together
  3. bound — obliged
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. row — to paddle
  6. stand — to bear
  7. ground — the earth
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. bound — certain
  10. row — a line
  11. sharp — clever
  12. rush — hurry
  13. pit — a hole
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. chest — of your body
  16. pit — in a race
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. ground — a position
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. chest — of your body
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. ground — crushed
  24. sharp — exactly

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