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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. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  9. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  16. He was locked up in a ________________.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. cell — in biology
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. can — a tin
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. cap — a lid
  7. cap — a hat
  8. cell — a phone
  9. bat — for baseball
  10. can — a tin
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. can — to be able to
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. chest — of your body
  16. cell — in a prison
  17. snap — to click
  18. chest — a box
  19. fine — high quality
  20. fine — all right
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. bat — the animal
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. cap — of ice

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