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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. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. chest — a box
  3. key — in music
  4. chest — of your body
  5. pit — a hole
  6. content — the amount
  7. pit — in a race
  8. fall — to drop
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. key — the most important part
  11. row — a line
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. key — for a lock
  17. fall — the season
  18. content — happy
  19. chest — of your body
  20. fall — to drop
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. bear — the animal
  24. row — to paddle

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