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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. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. net — for catching
  3. mate — a partner
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. net — after costs
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. kick — in football
  10. net — in sport
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. mate — to breed
  13. mate — a friend
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. chest — of your body
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. chest — a box
  18. dip — to sink
  19. craft — a skill
  20. fine — high quality
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. fine — all right
  23. craft — boats
  24. deal — to handle

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