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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 cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  23. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  24. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. suit — clothes
  3. chest — of your body
  4. firm — a company
  5. jam — to spread on bread
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. firm — decided
  8. jam — a tight spot
  9. firm — steady
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. chest — a box
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. race — humankind
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. suit — to fit
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. wake — a trail
  20. dip — to sink
  21. suit — in cards
  22. race — the arms race
  23. jam — in traffic
  24. race — a contest

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