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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. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. bear — the animal
  3. scale — size or range
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. ball — a great time
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. bear — the animal
  8. can — a tin
  9. ball — a dance
  10. can — to be able to
  11. lean — to bend
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. bore — to tire
  18. chest — of your body
  19. scale — in music
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. lean — thin
  22. can — a tin
  23. bore — to drill
  24. chest — a box

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