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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. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  20. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. chest — of your body
  4. can — a tin
  5. can — to be able to
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. fall — to drop
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. wound — an injury
  15. fall — to drop
  16. pass — a permit
  17. bore — to tire
  18. bore — to drill
  19. wound — an injury
  20. chest — a box
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. fall — the season
  24. can — a tin

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