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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. He was locked up in a ________________.
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  21. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in a prison
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. pit — a hole
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. track — a path
  7. kid — child
  8. track — a song
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. pit — in a race
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. squash — to crush
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. track — to keep track
  17. rush — hurry
  18. squash — the sport
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. cell — in biology
  21. cell — a phone
  22. kid — to tease
  23. rock — a stone
  24. rock — music

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