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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. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. chest — of your body
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. can — a tin
  6. chest — of your body
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. can — a tin
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. chest — a box
  13. row — to paddle
  14. bound — obliged
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. can — to be able to
  17. row — a line
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. bat — the animal
  21. bound — tied together
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. bat — for baseball
  24. rush — hurry

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