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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 felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  2. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. chest — of your body
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. spring — a coil
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. object — a thing
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. chest — a box
  10. object — an aim
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. spring — the season
  14. bulb — for light
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. band — a ring
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. spring — of water
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. object — to protest
  21. bulb — for light
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. band — a music group

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