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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. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  2. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. pit — a hole
  5. chest — of your body
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. wound — an injury
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. firm — decided
  11. firm — steady
  12. squash — to crush
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. squash — the sport
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. bark — to shout
  17. pit — in a race
  18. chest — of your body
  19. plane — a tool
  20. firm — a company
  21. stand — to bear
  22. chest — a box
  23. wound — an injury
  24. plane — an aircraft

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