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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. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  2. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  3. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — a box
  2. chest — of your body
  3. capital — a city
  4. squash — the sport
  5. capital — a big letter
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. rest — a break
  8. capital — money
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. march — the month
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. rest — what's left
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. march — music
  15. lie — to recline
  16. rest — what's left
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. chest — of your body
  20. squash — to crush
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. march — the month
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. lie — an untruth

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