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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. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  17. He was locked up in a ________________.
  18. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. pass — a permit
  3. row — to paddle
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. firm — steady
  6. row — a line
  7. bound — tied together
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. foot — a measure
  10. firm — decided
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. cell — a phone
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. bound — obliged
  15. pit — in a race
  16. chest — a box
  17. cell — in a prison
  18. chest — of your body
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. bound — certain
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. cell — in biology
  23. firm — a company
  24. chest — of your body

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