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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: jam · pit · bear · chest · saw · shower · face · net

  1. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  11. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. pit — in a race
  3. chest — a box
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. bear — the animal
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. net — for catching
  9. face — to point toward
  10. chest — of your body
  11. jam — to spread on bread
  12. net — after costs
  13. net — in sport
  14. saw — the tool
  15. bear — the animal
  16. jam — a tight spot
  17. face — part of the head
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. saw — the tool
  20. shower — rain
  21. shower — to wash
  22. jam — in traffic
  23. pit — a hole
  24. face — to confront

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