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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. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  8. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. saw — the tool
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. ground — the earth
  7. chest — of your body
  8. chest — a box
  9. hand — in cards
  10. mark — a grade
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. mark — a trace
  15. saw — the tool
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. hand — help
  21. rush — hurry
  22. perch — the fish
  23. ground — crushed
  24. ground — a position

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