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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 players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. mark — a trace
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. bound — tied together
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. bound — obliged
  8. bound — certain
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. bear — the animal
  11. mark — a grade
  12. chest — a box
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. chest — of your body
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. pitch — completely
  18. bear — the animal
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. calf — a young animal

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