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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. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. drill — the tool
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. tube — a container
  8. drill — army training
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. drill — a practice
  11. net — in sport
  12. deal — to handle
  13. chest — a box
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. net — after costs
  16. chest — of your body
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. fine — all right
  19. tube — the underground
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. fine — high quality
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. wake — a trail
  24. net — for catching

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