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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. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. sharp — clever
  3. firm — steady
  4. chest — of your body
  5. firm — a company
  6. chest — a box
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. can — a tin
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. can — a tin
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. firm — decided
  19. ball — a great time
  20. ball — a dance
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. can — to be able to
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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