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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. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  2. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. chest — of your body
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. bank — for money
  5. chest — of your body
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. season — of the year
  9. rest — what's left
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. bank — for money
  12. lie — to recline
  13. rest — what's left
  14. snap — to click
  15. chest — a box
  16. rest — a break
  17. pit — a hole
  18. bank — of a river
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. season — in sport
  22. pit — in a race
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. season — to add flavour

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