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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. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  3. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  21. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. capital — a big letter
  3. chest — a box
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. tear — to rip
  6. firm — decided
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. deal — to handle
  10. tear — from crying
  11. firm — a company
  12. firm — steady
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. capital — a city
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. tear — from crying
  18. cap — of ice
  19. mark — a trace
  20. capital — money
  21. chest — of your body
  22. cap — a lid
  23. cap — a hat
  24. mark — a grade

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