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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. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. bulb — for light
  3. deal — to handle
  4. stand — to bear
  5. mug — a cup
  6. ground — a position
  7. chip — for betting
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. chest — of your body
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. ground — crushed
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. chest — a box
  15. ground — the earth
  16. mug — to rob
  17. mug — a face
  18. chip — to eat
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. bulb — for light

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