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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: mug · chair · content · lie · pit · rush · staff · cabinet

  1. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. mug — to rob
  3. pit — a hole
  4. content — happy
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. chair — a professorship
  8. staff — a stick
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. mug — a face
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. mug — a cup
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. rush — hurry
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. staff — employees
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. content — the amount
  20. chair — to sit on
  21. chair — a leader
  22. pit — in a race
  23. staff — employees
  24. lie — to recline

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