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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. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. chest — of your body
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. foot — a measure
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. rest — a break
  10. charge — electricity
  11. rock — music
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. hand — in cards
  14. rock — a stone
  15. hand — help
  16. charge — in control
  17. rest — what's left
  18. chest — a box
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. squash — the sport
  21. charge — a price
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. chest — of your body
  24. squash — to crush

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