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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: kid · lie · pound · pit · arm · pass · foot · mine

  1. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. lie — to recline
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. kid — to tease
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. kid — child
  10. pit — in a race
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. pound — a weight
  15. foot — a measure
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. mine — for digging
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. pass — a permit
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. pit — a hole

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