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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: toast · cell · shower · leaves · arm · lean · pass · pit

  1. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. He was locked up in a ________________.
  21. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  22. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. pit — a hole
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. cell — in biology
  5. pass — a permit
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. toast — bread
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. toast — the most admired
  12. lean — thin
  13. cell — a phone
  14. shower — rain
  15. pit — in a race
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. shower — to wash
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. cell — in a prison
  21. shower — a meteor shower
  22. toast — a drink to someone
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. lean — to bend

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