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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. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. suit — to fit
  4. track — a song
  5. rash — hasty
  6. key — the most important part
  7. chest — a box
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. key — in music
  10. track — a path
  11. chest — of your body
  12. track — to keep track
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. suit — clothes
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. rash — a series
  20. key — for a lock
  21. row — a line
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. row — to paddle
  24. suit — in cards

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