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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 had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  2. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. The water is too ________________.
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — an illness
  2. staff — employees
  3. rock — a stone
  4. pit — in a race
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. tube — the underground
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. lie — to recline
  11. rock — music
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. tube — a container
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. cold — not warm
  21. pit — a hole
  22. cold — the Cold War
  23. staff — employees
  24. staff — a stick

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