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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. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. chest — a box
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. bulb — for light
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. row — to paddle
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. row — a line
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. bulb — for light
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. spring — of water
  16. spring — a coil
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. fine — high quality
  19. fine — all right
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. chest — of your body
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. spring — the season
  24. patient — a sick person

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