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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. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  24. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. suit — in cards
  3. suit — to fit
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. chest — a box
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. net — for catching
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. bore — to drill
  10. bore — to tire
  11. key — for a lock
  12. key — in music
  13. craft — a skill
  14. key — the most important part
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. suit — clothes
  17. net — in sport
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. wound — an injury
  20. craft — boats
  21. net — after costs
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. wound — an injury
  24. chest — of your body

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