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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. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  8. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. Have you settled on a ________________?
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. rock — a stone
  3. chest — of your body
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. race — humankind
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. chest — a box
  9. club — for golf
  10. race — the arms race
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. mark — a grade
  13. saw — the tool
  14. mark — a trace
  15. saw — the tool
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. rock — music
  18. race — a contest
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. club — for dancing
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. club — a group
  24. date — the fruit

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