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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. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  2. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  3. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  4. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  19. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. toast — the most admired
  3. toast — bread
  4. chest — a box
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. ball — a great time
  7. hand — help
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. row — a line
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. ball — a dance
  12. rock — music
  13. row — to paddle
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. rock — a stone
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. toast — a drink to someone
  19. chest — of your body
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. hand — in cards
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. arm — a part of something

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