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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 can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. pass — a permit
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. row — to paddle
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. deal — to handle
  10. swing — in golf
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. season — in sport
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. club — a group
  15. row — a line
  16. season — of the year
  17. club — for golf
  18. chest — a box
  19. club — for dancing
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. swing — to play on
  23. swing — music
  24. chest — of your body

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