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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've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  18. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  19. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  23. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. toast — a drink to someone
  3. firm — decided
  4. rest — what's left
  5. firm — steady
  6. chest — a box
  7. mug — to rob
  8. toast — the most admired
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. mug — a cup
  11. bat — for baseball
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. mug — a face
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. firm — a company
  16. rest — what's left
  17. chest — of your body
  18. bat — the animal
  19. toast — bread
  20. rest — a break
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. bat — in an idiom
  23. chest — of your body
  24. mouse — the animal

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