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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 120 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 felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  2. He was locked up in a ________________.
  3. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  16. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. cell — in a prison
  3. cell — a phone
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. pit — a hole
  7. pit — in a race
  8. firm — steady
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. spell — letters
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. spell — magic
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. chest — a box
  16. cell — in biology
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. spell — a short time
  19. firm — a company
  20. prune — to trim
  21. prune — to trim
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. chest — of your body
  24. firm — decided

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