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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. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  2. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. snap — to click
  3. can — a tin
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. pit — in a race
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. spell — letters
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. can — to be able to
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. foot — a measure
  15. kick — in football
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. bass — the fish
  19. spell — a short time
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. spell — magic
  22. can — a tin
  23. bass — low music
  24. pit — a hole

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