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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. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. net — after costs
  4. vault — a safe
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. pit — in a race
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. chest — of your body
  9. last — final
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. chest — a box
  12. net — in sport
  13. foot — a measure
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. deal — to handle
  16. last — to go on
  17. last — finally
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. pit — a hole
  21. net — for catching
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. deal — an agreement

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