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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. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  19. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. can — a tin
  5. board — to get on
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. stand — to bear
  8. swing — music
  9. pit — a hole
  10. pit — in a race
  11. board — a committee
  12. mine — for digging
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. swing — in golf
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. bat — for baseball
  19. bat — the animal
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. swing — to play on
  22. can — to be able to
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. can — a tin

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