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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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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. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. club — for golf
  3. chest — a box
  4. club — a group
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. suit — to fit
  7. bound — certain
  8. land — ground
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. bound — obliged
  11. suit — in cards
  12. present — the time now
  13. suit — clothes
  14. chest — of your body
  15. bound — tied together
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. land — a country
  20. land — to come down
  21. kick — in football
  22. present — there
  23. club — for dancing
  24. present — a gift

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