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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. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. can — a tin
  4. chest — of your body
  5. can — to be able to
  6. bound — certain
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. firm — steady
  10. firm — a company
  11. bulb — for light
  12. can — a tin
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. stand — to bear
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. bulb — for light
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. firm — decided
  21. chest — a box
  22. bound — tied together
  23. bound — obliged
  24. straw — dry grass

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