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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. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. chest — of your body
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. wound — an injury
  5. chest — of your body
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. chest — a box
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. craft — boats
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. craft — a skill
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. foot — a measure
  21. wound — an injury
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. pound — a weight
  24. pound — for dogs

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