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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. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. bore — to drill
  4. chest — a box
  5. rule — a law
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. chest — of your body
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. prune — to trim
  13. bore — to tire
  14. stock — shares
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. rule — government
  18. stock — goods
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. pit — in a race
  21. prune — to trim
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. pit — a hole

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