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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. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. club — for golf
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. ball — a great time
  5. club — a group
  6. bear — the animal
  7. rest — what's left
  8. firm — steady
  9. ball — a dance
  10. chest — of your body
  11. club — for dancing
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. firm — decided
  15. firm — a company
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. bear — the animal
  18. chest — a box
  19. rest — what's left
  20. wax — to grow
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. rest — a break
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. bear — to put up with

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