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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. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. club — for dancing
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. chest — of your body
  6. wound — an injury
  7. board — a committee
  8. club — a group
  9. pit — in a race
  10. wake — a trail
  11. club — for golf
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. chest — a box
  15. foot — a measure
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. wound — an injury
  18. chest — of your body
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. board — to get on
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. pit — a hole
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. leaves — of a tree

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