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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. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. foot — a measure
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. chest — a box
  5. squash — to crush
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. season — of the year
  8. file — a tool
  9. file — a document
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. chest — of your body
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. season — in sport
  14. rock — a stone
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. chest — of your body
  17. bear — the animal
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. file — a line of people
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. rock — music
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. bear — the animal
  24. foot — the bottom

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