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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. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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. lean — to bend
  4. firm — a company
  5. chest — a box
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. firm — steady
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. season — of the year
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. ball — a dance
  13. foot — a measure
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. season — in sport
  16. craft — a skill
  17. craft — boats
  18. perch — the fish
  19. ball — a great time
  20. firm — decided
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. lean — thin
  24. lean — to rest against

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