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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. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. mate — to breed
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. track — to keep track
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. drill — army training
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. face — to point toward
  9. pass — a permit
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. track — a song
  12. drill — a practice
  13. mate — a partner
  14. drill — the tool
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. face — to confront
  18. chest — of your body
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. chest — a box
  21. mate — a friend
  22. face — part of the head
  23. track — a path
  24. pass — to succeed

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