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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 lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. chest — a box
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. pit — in a race
  6. suit — in cards
  7. land — ground
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. lean — to bend
  10. dip — to sink
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. land — to come down
  13. chest — of your body
  14. lean — thin
  15. chest — of your body
  16. pit — a hole
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. suit — clothes
  19. race — the arms race
  20. race — a contest
  21. race — humankind
  22. land — a country
  23. lie — to recline
  24. suit — to fit

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