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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'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  6. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  13. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. chest — of your body
  3. saw — the tool
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. chest — of your body
  6. chest — a box
  7. bass — low music
  8. saw — the tool
  9. toast — the most admired
  10. cue — for pool
  11. track — a path
  12. toast — a drink to someone
  13. toast — bread
  14. bore — to tire
  15. row — to paddle
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. bore — to drill
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. track — a song
  21. track — to keep track
  22. cue — a signal
  23. bass — the fish
  24. row — a line

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