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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. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. firm — a company
  6. chest — of your body
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. foot — a measure
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. chest — a box
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. firm — steady
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. firm — decided

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