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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. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  11. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — a box
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. saw — the tool
  5. stand — to bear
  6. chest — of your body
  7. spell — magic
  8. spell — letters
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. tear — from crying
  11. tear — to rip
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. chest — of your body
  14. spell — a short time
  15. tear — from crying
  16. saw — the tool
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. arm — a part of something

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