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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 hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. chest — of your body
  3. pit — in a race
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. chest — a box
  6. rest — what's left
  7. rest — what's left
  8. face — to point toward
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. mark — a grade
  11. chest — of your body
  12. rest — a break
  13. face — part of the head
  14. stand — to bear
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. pit — a hole
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. prune — to trim
  21. face — to confront
  22. lie — to recline
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. prune — to trim

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