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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. David sat on the ________________.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  7. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  8. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  9. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  10. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  11. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  20. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  21. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  24. He was locked up in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. face — part of the head
  3. chest — of your body
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. cell — a phone
  7. cell — in biology
  8. chest — of your body
  9. toast — bread
  10. jam — a tight spot
  11. jam — in traffic
  12. face — to confront
  13. perch — the fish
  14. swing — music
  15. swing — in golf
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. face — to point toward
  19. toast — a drink to someone
  20. toast — the most admired
  21. chest — a box
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. jam — to spread on bread
  24. cell — in a prison

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