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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. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  24. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. face — to point toward
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. tube — a container
  5. last — to go on
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. chest — a box
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. last — final
  10. last — finally
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. face — to confront
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. deal — to handle
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. face — part of the head
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. tube — the underground
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. bark — to shout
  24. chest — of your body

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