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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 120 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. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. cue — a hint
  3. bat — in an idiom
  4. face — part of the head
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. chest — a box
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. face — to confront
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. chest — of your body
  11. ball — a dance
  12. ball — a great time
  13. bound — obliged
  14. cue — for pool
  15. spring — the season
  16. bat — for baseball
  17. face — to point toward
  18. vault — a safe
  19. spring — of water
  20. bound — certain
  21. cue — a signal
  22. spring — a coil
  23. bound — tied together
  24. bat — the animal

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