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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. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  6. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  23. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. key — the most important part
  4. track — a path
  5. capital — money
  6. chest — a box
  7. key — for a lock
  8. key — in music
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. snap — to click
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. stand — to bear
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. lie — to recline
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. track — to keep track
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. chest — of your body
  21. track — a song
  22. capital — a city
  23. capital — a big letter
  24. leaves — lets stay

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