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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 goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  8. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. face — to confront
  4. board — to get on
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. pit — in a race
  7. chest — a box
  8. chest — of your body
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. board — a committee
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. track — to keep track
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. face — part of the head
  17. track — a song
  18. prune — to trim
  19. track — a path
  20. prune — to trim
  21. pit — a hole
  22. chest — of your body
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. face — to point toward

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