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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. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  13. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  23. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. bulb — for light
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. bear — the animal
  5. net — in sport
  6. wind — moving air
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. wind — moving air
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. season — in sport
  11. bear — the animal
  12. wind — to turn a key
  13. degree — temperature
  14. net — after costs
  15. degree — from a university
  16. degree — an amount
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. bulb — for light
  19. season — of the year
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. chest — of your body
  23. chest — a box
  24. net — for catching

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