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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.

Make a worksheet

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. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. rest — what's left
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. chest — of your body
  6. object — a thing
  7. chest — a box
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. object — to protest
  10. pit — a hole
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. chest — of your body
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. wind — to turn a key
  18. rest — what's left
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. wind — moving air
  21. object — an aim
  22. rest — a break
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. wind — moving air

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