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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: straw · chest · pit · rule · kick · lie

  1. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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. rule — to rule out
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. pit — in a race
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. kick — in football
  9. pit — a hole
  10. rule — government
  11. chest — a box
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. rule — a law
  15. chest — of your body
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. lie — an untruth

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