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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. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  11. Have you settled on a ________________?
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  17. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. tube — the underground
  5. swing — music
  6. swing — to play on
  7. chest — a box
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. lie — to recline
  10. chest — of your body
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. board — to get on
  15. row — to paddle
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. date — the fruit
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. tube — a container
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. board — a committee
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. swing — in golf
  24. row — a line

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