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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. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. He was locked up in a ________________.
  22. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  23. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  24. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. chest — of your body
  3. chip — for betting
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. staff — a stick
  9. staff — employees
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. pit — a hole
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. cell — a phone
  16. staff — employees
  17. lie — to recline
  18. chip — to eat
  19. dip — to sink
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. cell — in a prison
  22. cell — in biology
  23. chest — of your body
  24. chest — a box

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