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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. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. chest — a box
  2. squash — the sport
  3. pit — in a race
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. last — finally
  8. stand — to bear
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. prune — to trim
  11. chest — of your body
  12. last — to go on
  13. last — final
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. prune — to trim
  16. dip — to sink
  17. squash — to crush
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. chest — of your body
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. pit — a hole
  23. lie — to recline
  24. lie — an untruth

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