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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: bay · pit · present · wound · suit · chest · roll · firm

  1. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. We're on a ________________ here.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  22. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. chest — of your body
  4. suit — in cards
  5. firm — steady
  6. suit — to fit
  7. firm — decided
  8. pit — in a race
  9. roll — on a roll
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. wound — an injury
  12. present — a gift
  13. roll — a list
  14. present — there
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. suit — clothes
  18. wound — an injury
  19. pit — a hole
  20. present — the time now
  21. roll — a cake
  22. chest — a box
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. firm — a company

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