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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. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  2. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. ground — crushed
  3. rush — hurry
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. race — a contest
  6. rock — a stone
  7. rock — music
  8. race — the arms race
  9. chest — of your body
  10. key — for a lock
  11. race — humankind
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. key — the most important part
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. prune — to trim
  17. chest — a box
  18. chair — a leader
  19. prune — to trim
  20. ground — the earth
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. ground — a position
  23. key — in music
  24. chair — a professorship

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