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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. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. chest — a box
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. rule — a law
  6. spring — the season
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. spring — of water
  13. rule — government
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. tube — the underground
  17. stand — to bear
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. dip — to sink
  20. chest — of your body
  21. tube — a container
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. spring — a coil
  24. dip — a sauce

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