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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. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  6. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  7. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  8. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. The water is too ________________.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. lean — to bend
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. chest — a box
  6. tear — from crying
  7. tear — from crying
  8. cold — an illness
  9. suit — in cards
  10. foot — a measure
  11. suit — to fit
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. cold — the Cold War
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. suit — clothes
  16. cold — not warm
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. game — a match
  19. chest — of your body
  20. game — wild animals
  21. lean — thin
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. tear — to rip
  24. foot — the bottom

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