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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. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  3. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. chest — of your body
  3. chest — a box
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. chest — of your body
  6. object — to protest
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. dip — to sink
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. foot — a measure
  11. scale — in music
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. bound — certain
  14. bound — obliged
  15. object — a thing
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. object — an aim
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. scale — size or range
  24. leaves — to go away

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