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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. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. lie — to recline
  3. pit — a hole
  4. bark — to shout
  5. pit — in a race
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. chest — of your body
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. deal — to handle
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. season — of the year
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. season — in sport
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. chest — a box
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. arm — part of the body

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