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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. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. The water is too ________________.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  22. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  23. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. deal — to handle
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. cold — not warm
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. chest — of your body
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. mine — for digging
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. cold — an illness
  22. cold — the Cold War
  23. chest — a box
  24. bowl — a dish

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