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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. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. pit — a hole
  3. land — to come down
  4. chest — a box
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. pit — in a race
  7. bound — tied together
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. charge — in control
  10. land — a country
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. suit — in cards
  13. suit — to fit
  14. suit — clothes
  15. root — the cause
  16. charge — electricity
  17. bound — certain
  18. bound — obliged
  19. charge — a price
  20. land — ground
  21. chest — of your body
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. root — of a word
  24. root — of a plant

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