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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. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  10. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. pit — a hole
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. cue — a signal
  7. pass — a permit
  8. kick — in football
  9. chest — a box
  10. chest — of your body
  11. lean — thin
  12. cue — a hint
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. pit — in a race
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. snap — to click
  19. spell — magic
  20. chest — of your body
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. spell — a short time
  23. cue — for pool
  24. spell — letters

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