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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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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: date · tube · squash · jam · pit · bay · lean · face

  1. I'll be taking the ________________.
  2. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  16. Have you settled on a ________________?
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. date — the fruit
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. jam — a tight spot
  5. lean — to bend
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. face — part of the head
  8. jam — in traffic
  9. pit — a hole
  10. face — to confront
  11. face — to point toward
  12. lean — thin
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. pit — in a race
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. jam — to spread on bread
  19. tube — a container
  20. squash — the sport
  21. squash — to crush
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. bay — a horse colour

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