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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. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  17. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. scale — size or range
  3. charge — electricity
  4. bat — the animal
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. charge — in control
  7. bat — in an idiom
  8. pop — to visit
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. pound — a weight
  11. scale — in music
  12. lie — to recline
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. charge — a price
  15. pop — soda
  16. bat — for baseball
  17. chest — a box
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. chest — of your body
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. pop — music
  24. safe — out of danger

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