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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. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. chest — of your body
  4. snap — to click
  5. shower — to wash
  6. staff — a stick
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. foot — a measure
  9. staff — employees
  10. bank — for money
  11. chest — a box
  12. bank — of a river
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. shower — rain
  15. craft — a skill
  16. craft — boats
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. mark — a trace
  20. staff — employees
  21. mark — a grade
  22. bank — for money
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. shower — a meteor shower

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