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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 kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. scale — in music
  4. bound — obliged
  5. lean — to bend
  6. pit — a hole
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. mine — for digging
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. lean — thin
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. capital — a city
  17. bound — tied together
  18. scale — size or range
  19. capital — money
  20. pit — in a race
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. bound — certain
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. capital — a big letter

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