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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: fine · bound · chest · kick · file · pit · lean · jam

  1. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  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. bound — certain
  2. lean — to bend
  3. chest — of your body
  4. file — a document
  5. fine — all right
  6. file — a tool
  7. chest — a box
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. jam — to spread on bread
  10. bound — tied together
  11. jam — in traffic
  12. kick — in football
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. jam — a tight spot
  15. fine — high quality
  16. bound — obliged
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. pit — a hole
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. lean — thin
  22. file — a line of people
  23. chest — of your body
  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