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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. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. chest — of your body
  3. bound — obliged
  4. bound — certain
  5. capital — money
  6. bass — low music
  7. rest — a break
  8. chip — to eat
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. rest — what's left
  11. rest — what's left
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. chest — a box
  16. bass — the fish
  17. rock — a stone
  18. capital — a city
  19. rock — music
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. capital — a big letter
  23. bound — tied together
  24. chip — for betting

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