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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. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. can — to be able to
  4. root — the cause
  5. chest — of your body
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. root — of a word
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. can — a tin
  11. can — a tin
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. lie — to recline
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. chest — a box
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. root — of a plant
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. bark — to shout

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