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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 kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. lean — thin
  5. ball — a dance
  6. chest — a box
  7. ball — a great time
  8. band — a ring
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. pit — a hole
  13. band — a music group
  14. chest — of your body
  15. staff — employees
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. staff — a stick
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. chest — of your body
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. pit — in a race
  23. staff — employees
  24. lean — to bend

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