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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 farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  20. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. chest — of your body
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. tube — the underground
  9. cap — of ice
  10. fall — the season
  11. cap — a lid
  12. jam — a tight spot
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. fall — to drop
  16. cap — a hat
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. tube — a container
  19. jam — to spread on bread
  20. chest — a box
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. fall — to drop
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. jam — in traffic

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