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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. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  2. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  20. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — a box
  2. chest — of your body
  3. track — a path
  4. bound — tied together
  5. track — a song
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. bound — certain
  10. bound — obliged
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. degree — an amount
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. degree — from a university
  16. track — to keep track
  17. pit — a hole
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. degree — temperature
  20. chest — of your body
  21. pit — in a race
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. arm — part of the body

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