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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. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  2. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. We're on a ________________ here.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. chest — a box
  3. kick — in football
  4. saw — the tool
  5. chest — of your body
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. track — a path
  9. track — a song
  10. charge — a price
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. charge — electricity
  14. season — of the year
  15. track — to keep track
  16. roll — on a roll
  17. object — a thing
  18. roll — a cake
  19. charge — in control
  20. saw — the tool
  21. season — in sport
  22. object — an aim
  23. object — to protest
  24. roll — a list

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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