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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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 have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  6. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  7. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  8. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  9. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. suit — to fit
  3. row — a line
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. chest — of your body
  6. jam — a tight spot
  7. chest — of your body
  8. jam — to spread on bread
  9. chest — a box
  10. pit — a hole
  11. jam — in traffic
  12. race — the arms race
  13. pit — in a race
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. suit — in cards
  17. row — to paddle
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. suit — clothes
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. race — humankind
  23. row — a quarrel
  24. race — a contest

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