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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. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. chip — for betting
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. chest — a box
  11. scale — size or range
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. chest — of your body
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. chip — to eat
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. scale — in music
  23. sharp — clever
  24. rush — hurry

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