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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  22. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. pitch — completely
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. mark — a trace
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. ground — a position
  8. suit — clothes
  9. ground — the earth
  10. kick — in football
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. chest — a box
  13. wind — moving air
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. suit — in cards
  16. ground — crushed
  17. wind — to turn a key
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. mark — a grade
  21. chest — of your body
  22. wind — moving air
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. suit — to fit

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