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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 felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  17. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. mug — a face
  3. chest — of your body
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. bulb — for light
  10. mug — a cup
  11. foot — a measure
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. mug — to rob
  14. bulb — for light
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. clip — to cut
  17. clip — for paper
  18. scale — in music
  19. chest — a box
  20. scale — size or range
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. clip — a video

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