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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. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. Have you settled on a ________________?
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  17. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. race — a contest
  3. date — the fruit
  4. bank — of a river
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. chest — of your body
  7. bank — for money
  8. bulb — for light
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. race — the arms race
  13. race — humankind
  14. charge — electricity
  15. bulb — for light
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. chest — a box
  18. bank — for money
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. pitch — completely
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. charge — a price
  23. charge — in control
  24. hide — animal skin

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