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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. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  5. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. firm — decided
  4. content — happy
  5. wind — to turn a key
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. wind — moving air
  8. firm — steady
  9. wind — moving air
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. pit — a hole
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. content — the amount
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. pit — in a race
  19. lie — to recline
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. firm — a company
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. foot — part of the body
  24. arm — part of the body

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