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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 120 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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  2. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. chest — a box
  3. swing — music
  4. swing — to play on
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. tube — the underground
  9. chest — of your body
  10. vault — a safe
  11. tube — a container
  12. perch — the fish
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. swing — in golf
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. perch — for a bird

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