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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. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  24. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. march — the month
  4. vault — a safe
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. ground — the earth
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. hand — in cards
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. ground — a position
  13. march — the month
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. pit — a hole
  18. pit — in a race
  19. hand — help
  20. ground — crushed
  21. march — music
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. chest — a box
  24. chest — of your body

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