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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. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. Have you settled on a ________________?
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  24. We took cover from the thunder ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. chest — of your body
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. lean — to bend
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. object — a thing
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. chest — of your body
  14. shower — to wash
  15. date — the fruit
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. lean — thin
  18. object — an aim
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. object — to protest
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. chest — a box
  24. shower — rain

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