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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 124 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. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. scale — in music
  7. chip — to eat
  8. kick — in football
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. craft — a skill
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. scale — size or range
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. chest — a box
  16. chip — for betting
  17. craft — boats
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. hand — help
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. chest — of your body
  23. rush — hurry
  24. hand — in cards

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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