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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. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. lean — thin
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. craft — a skill
  5. can — a tin
  6. tear — from crying
  7. lean — to bend
  8. bound — obliged
  9. tear — to rip
  10. can — to be able to
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. bound — certain
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. craft — boats
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. can — a tin
  19. bound — tied together
  20. pit — a hole
  21. tear — from crying
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. coach — a trainer

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