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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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468
Word bank
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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. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. suit — to fit
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. chest — of your body
  6. suit — in cards
  7. kick — in football
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. season — in sport
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. season — of the year
  18. suit — clothes
  19. bark — to shout
  20. chest — a box
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. snap — to click
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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