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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 120 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. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  22. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. suit — in cards
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. file — a tool
  6. pit — in a race
  7. file — a document
  8. suit — clothes
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. chest — a box
  13. file — a line of people
  14. wake — a trail
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. rush — hurry
  17. lean — to bend
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. lean — thin
  20. pit — a hole
  21. chest — of your body
  22. chest — of your body
  23. suit — to fit
  24. rush — a thrill

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