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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. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. chest — of your body
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. chest — of your body
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. lie — to recline
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. net — in sport
  13. can — a tin
  14. can — a tin
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. net — for catching
  17. band — a ring
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. chest — a box
  21. net — after costs
  22. can — to be able to
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. band — a music group

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