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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. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  2. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — a box
  2. chest — of your body
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. rest — what's left
  5. season — in sport
  6. wake — a trail
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. bass — low music
  9. chest — of your body
  10. kick — in football
  11. rest — what's left
  12. chip — to eat
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. rest — a break
  16. pit — in a race
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. bass — the fish
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. season — of the year
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. pit — a hole
  24. chip — for betting

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