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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. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  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. hand — part of the body
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. march — the month
  4. hand — in cards
  5. dip — to sink
  6. bear — the animal
  7. staff — employees
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. scale — size or range
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. bear — the animal
  12. hand — help
  13. staff — a stick
  14. march — the month
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. scale — in music
  17. chest — of your body
  18. staff — employees
  19. march — music
  20. fine — all right
  21. chest — a box
  22. fine — high quality
  23. dip — to dunk
  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