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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. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. chest — of your body
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. chest — of your body
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. cue — a hint
  9. cue — for pool
  10. tube — the underground
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. chest — a box
  14. deal — to handle
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. game — a match
  17. tube — a container
  18. pound — a weight
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. cue — a signal
  21. game — wild animals
  22. hand — help
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. hand — in cards

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