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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. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. pit — in a race
  3. last — to go on
  4. rest — what's left
  5. chest — of your body
  6. rule — government
  7. last — finally
  8. chest — of your body
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. rest — a break
  12. rule — a law
  13. jam — in traffic
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. swing — in golf
  16. swing — music
  17. jam — to spread on bread
  18. last — final
  19. jam — a tight spot
  20. swing — to play on
  21. chest — a box
  22. rest — what's left
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. pass — a permit

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