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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. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  3. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  10. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. bat — for baseball
  3. bat — in an idiom
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. present — there
  6. present — a gift
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. key — in music
  9. bat — the animal
  10. chest — of your body
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. lean — thin
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. rash — hasty
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. chest — a box
  17. key — for a lock
  18. lean — to bend
  19. key — the most important part
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. chair — a leader
  22. present — the time now
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. chest — of your body

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