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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. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  20. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. chest — of your body
  3. mate — to breed
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. mate — a friend
  6. swing — music
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. swing — to play on
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. toast — the most admired
  11. shower — to wash
  12. toast — a drink to someone
  13. firm — decided
  14. mate — a partner
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. swing — in golf
  17. bear — the animal
  18. firm — a company
  19. shower — rain
  20. chest — a box
  21. bear — the animal
  22. firm — steady
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. toast — bread

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