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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. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  2. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  21. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. march — music
  3. march — the month
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. swing — music
  6. swing — in golf
  7. march — the month
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. mug — a cup
  11. mug — to rob
  12. chest — a box
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. prune — to trim
  16. mug — a face
  17. lie — to recline
  18. prune — to trim
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. chest — of your body
  21. content — the amount
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. swing — to play on
  24. content — happy

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