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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. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. chest — of your body
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. present — the time now
  7. chest — a box
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. chip — for betting
  11. present — a gift
  12. present — there
  13. chip — to eat
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. kick — in football
  16. fine — all right
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. pit — in a race
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. chest — of your body
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. fine — high quality
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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