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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. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  14. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  15. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. Have you settled on a ________________?
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. capital — a city
  3. court — of a king
  4. staff — a stick
  5. chest — a box
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. staff — employees
  8. date — the fruit
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. capital — money
  14. chest — of your body
  15. capital — a big letter
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. court — for sport
  18. mug — a face
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. court — of law
  22. staff — employees
  23. mug — a cup
  24. mug — to rob

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