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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. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  4. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — a box
  2. cap — a hat
  3. chest — of your body
  4. chest — of your body
  5. ground — a position
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. ground — the earth
  8. object — to protest
  9. ground — crushed
  10. chip — to eat
  11. bound — certain
  12. chip — for betting
  13. bound — tied together
  14. bound — obliged
  15. object — an aim
  16. cap — a lid
  17. bulb — for light
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. object — a thing
  20. bulb — for light
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. cap — of ice
  24. bulb — of a plant

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