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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. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. chest — a box
  3. fall — the season
  4. bound — certain
  5. pit — a hole
  6. bound — tied together
  7. can — a tin
  8. pit — in a race
  9. chest — of your body
  10. fall — to drop
  11. chest — of your body
  12. row — to paddle
  13. fall — to drop
  14. pitch — completely
  15. spell — a short time
  16. spell — letters
  17. can — a tin
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. bound — obliged
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. can — to be able to
  24. spell — magic

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