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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. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  5. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. We're on a ________________ here.
  8. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  23. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. file — a document
  3. row — to paddle
  4. chest — a box
  5. chest — of your body
  6. pitch — completely
  7. roll — on a roll
  8. wind — moving air
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. swing — in golf
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. wind — to turn a key
  13. file — a tool
  14. firm — decided
  15. firm — a company
  16. swing — to play on
  17. roll — a list
  18. swing — music
  19. firm — steady
  20. wind — moving air
  21. row — a line
  22. roll — a cake
  23. file — a line of people
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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