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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. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. ball — a dance
  4. bark — to shout
  5. ball — a great time
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. fall — to drop
  8. stand — to bear
  9. mark — a trace
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. mark — a grade
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. fall — the season
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. fall — to drop
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. chest — a box
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. chest — of your body
  24. racket — for tennis

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