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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. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. chest — of your body
  3. stem — to come from
  4. face — part of the head
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. face — to confront
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. chest — a box
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. chest — of your body
  18. face — to point toward
  19. deal — to handle
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. vault — a safe
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. stem — of a plant

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