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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. That must've been a ________________.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. saw — the tool
  5. track — to keep track
  6. track — a path
  7. chest — of your body
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. track — a song
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. chest — a box
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. mark — a grade
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. scale — in music
  18. rush — hurry
  19. mark — a trace
  20. saw — the tool
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. scale — size or range
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. ruler — for measuring

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