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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. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. dip — to sink
  3. vault — a safe
  4. wound — an injury
  5. net — in sport
  6. face — to point toward
  7. face — part of the head
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. net — after costs
  10. key — for a lock
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. wound — an injury
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. key — in music
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. chest — of your body
  20. key — the most important part
  21. face — to confront
  22. chest — a box
  23. net — for catching
  24. racket — a loud noise

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