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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. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  15. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  19. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  20. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. jam — a tight spot
  3. can — a tin
  4. suit — clothes
  5. can — a tin
  6. can — to be able to
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. chest — a box
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. suit — in cards
  12. bound — obliged
  13. suit — to fit
  14. degree — temperature
  15. chest — of your body
  16. track — a song
  17. track — to keep track
  18. degree — from a university
  19. jam — in traffic
  20. degree — an amount
  21. bound — tied together
  22. bound — certain
  23. jam — to spread on bread
  24. track — a path

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