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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  13. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. club — for dancing
  3. key — for a lock
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. bound — tied together
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. bound — certain
  10. key — in music
  11. club — a group
  12. chest — of your body
  13. chest — a box
  14. bound — obliged
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. key — the most important part
  22. club — for golf
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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