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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. rock — a stone
  6. snap — to click
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. chest — a box
  9. foot — a measure
  10. present — there
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. can — to be able to
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. present — the time now
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. present — a gift
  17. rock — music
  18. can — a tin
  19. pit — a hole
  20. chest — of your body
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. chest — of your body
  23. pit — in a race
  24. hide — animal skin

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