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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: chest · rock · toast · snap · pitcher · jam · stick · lie

  1. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  9. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  10. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  23. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. jam — a tight spot
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. rock — music
  6. toast — a drink to someone
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. jam — to spread on bread
  9. toast — the most admired
  10. chest — a box
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. rock — a stone
  13. lie — to recline
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. chest — of your body
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. snap — to click
  18. toast — bread
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. chest — of your body
  23. jam — in traffic
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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