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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: pit · mug · nail · pass · lean · mouse · chest · lie

  1. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. mug — a face
  3. mug — to rob
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. chest — a box
  8. lean — to bend
  9. pit — a hole
  10. lean — thin
  11. mug — a cup
  12. pass — a permit
  13. chest — of your body
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. chest — of your body
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. pit — in a race
  21. lie — to recline
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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