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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. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  9. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. chest — of your body
  5. root — of a plant
  6. chest — of your body
  7. sharp — clever
  8. chest — a box
  9. arm — a part of something
  10. ball — a dance
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. root — the cause
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. ball — a great time
  21. wound — an injury
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. root — of a word
  24. cabinet — ministers

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