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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. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  3. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. chest — a box
  3. chest — of your body
  4. bound — certain
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. chest — of your body
  7. suit — clothes
  8. face — to point toward
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. bound — obliged
  11. fork — in a road
  12. shower — rain
  13. face — to confront
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. suit — in cards
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. snap — to click
  18. bound — tied together
  19. bass — low music
  20. shower — to wash
  21. face — part of the head
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. bass — the fish

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