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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. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  9. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  10. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. We're on a ________________ here.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. foot — a measure
  4. lie — to recline
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. saw — the tool
  7. saw — the tool
  8. chest — of your body
  9. chest — of your body
  10. roll — a list
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. roll — a cake
  13. pit — in a race
  14. swing — to play on
  15. swing — music
  16. chest — a box
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. swing — in golf
  19. roll — on a roll
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. pit — a hole
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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