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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. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. pit — in a race
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. bass — low music
  7. chest — a box
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. chest — of your body
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. press — newspapers
  12. stand — to bear
  13. bass — the fish
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. press — to push
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. press — a publisher
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. pit — a hole

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