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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. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  3. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. The water is too ________________.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. chest — of your body
  3. chest — of your body
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. cold — not warm
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. bass — low music
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. rule — government
  11. bass — the fish
  12. ground — a position
  13. cold — the Cold War
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. chest — a box
  16. suit — to fit
  17. suit — in cards
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. ground — crushed
  21. suit — clothes
  22. cold — an illness
  23. stem — to come from
  24. rule — a law

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