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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. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. wound — an injury
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. mine — for digging
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. cap — a lid
  9. wound — an injury
  10. foot — a measure
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. bore — to tire
  15. bore — to drill
  16. chest — of your body
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. chest — a box
  20. cap — a hat
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. cap — of ice
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. fan — a supporter

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