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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 lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. False peace will not ________________.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. chest — a box
  3. rash — hasty
  4. chest — of your body
  5. mark — a grade
  6. court — of a king
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. last — final
  10. last — finally
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. mark — a trace
  14. court — for sport
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. pit — a hole
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. last — to go on
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. pit — in a race
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. rash — a series
  24. court — of law

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