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

Word bank: last · jam · date · rock · lie · pit · clip · chest

  1. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  3. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  6. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  7. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  8. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. Have you settled on a ________________?
  13. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  14. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  21. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  22. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  23. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. chest — a box
  3. last — final
  4. rock — a stone
  5. date — the fruit
  6. clip — for paper
  7. jam — in traffic
  8. chest — of your body
  9. last — to go on
  10. pit — a hole
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. jam — to spread on bread
  14. clip — a video
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. chest — of your body
  17. lie — to recline
  18. rock — music
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. clip — to cut
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. jam — a tight spot
  23. last — finally
  24. pit — in a race

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