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

  1. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  4. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  21. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. lean — thin
  3. chest — of your body
  4. clip — a video
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. pop — music
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. pop — soda
  12. clip — to cut
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. key — for a lock
  15. key — the most important part
  16. chest — of your body
  17. key — in music
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. pop — to visit
  20. clip — for paper
  21. chest — a box
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. lean — to bend

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