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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. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  4. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  5. He was locked up in a ________________.
  6. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  14. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. cell — in biology
  4. tear — from crying
  5. cell — in a prison
  6. chest — a box
  7. club — a group
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. board — a committee
  11. cell — a phone
  12. face — to point toward
  13. tear — from crying
  14. chest — of your body
  15. face — to confront
  16. craft — boats
  17. tear — to rip
  18. face — part of the head
  19. club — for golf
  20. board — to get on
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. club — for dancing
  23. craft — a skill
  24. racket — for tennis

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