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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. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. chest — of your body
  3. spring — the season
  4. spring — of water
  5. ball — a dance
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. object — a thing
  8. object — an aim
  9. bulb — for light
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. net — after costs
  12. chest — a box
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. net — for catching
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. spring — a coil
  17. bulb — for light
  18. object — to protest
  19. ball — a great time
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. net — in sport

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