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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. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  4. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  7. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  18. He was locked up in a ________________.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. charge — in control
  3. tear — to rip
  4. wind — moving air
  5. bear — the animal
  6. tear — from crying
  7. chest — a box
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. firm — decided
  10. cell — a phone
  11. firm — steady
  12. wind — moving air
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. chest — of your body
  15. charge — a price
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. wind — to turn a key
  18. cell — in a prison
  19. charge — electricity
  20. cell — in biology
  21. bear — the animal
  22. tear — from crying
  23. firm — a company
  24. bear — to put up with

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