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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. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — a box
  2. firm — steady
  3. chest — of your body
  4. swing — music
  5. staff — employees
  6. staff — employees
  7. track — a path
  8. firm — a company
  9. face — to point toward
  10. chest — of your body
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. charge — electricity
  13. swing — in golf
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. charge — in control
  16. mine — for digging
  17. track — to keep track
  18. face — to confront
  19. face — part of the head
  20. staff — a stick
  21. charge — a price
  22. firm — decided
  23. track — a song
  24. swing — to play on

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