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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 120 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. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. chest — of your body
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. chest — a box
  11. wake — a trail
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. fine — all right
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. mine — for digging
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. fine — high quality
  23. rush — hurry
  24. pitch — completely

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