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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. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  13. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  14. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  15. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — a box
  2. kick — in football
  3. cap — a hat
  4. ball — a dance
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. rest — what's left
  7. ball — a great time
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. mug — a face
  10. mark — a grade
  11. rest — a break
  12. tear — to rip
  13. tear — from crying
  14. chest — of your body
  15. tear — from crying
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. mug — a cup
  18. rest — what's left
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. mark — a trace
  21. cap — a lid
  22. cap — of ice
  23. mug — to rob
  24. chest — of your body

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