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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. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  12. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  13. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. He was locked up in a ________________.
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. chest — of your body
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. rock — a stone
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. cell — a phone
  12. chest — a box
  13. cell — in biology
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. chest — of your body
  16. tube — a container
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. bark — to shout
  19. fine — high quality
  20. tube — the underground
  21. fine — all right
  22. cell — in a prison
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. rock — to move gently

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