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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. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. We're on a ________________ here.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  11. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. lean — thin
  3. lean — to bend
  4. key — in music
  5. roll — on a roll
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. key — for a lock
  8. firm — decided
  9. firm — a company
  10. chest — of your body
  11. chest — a box
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. roll — a list
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. roll — a cake
  18. snap — to click
  19. chest — of your body
  20. firm — steady
  21. pit — in a race
  22. pit — a hole
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. key — the most important part

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