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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. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. kick — in football
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. charge — electricity
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. file — a document
  10. chest — of your body
  11. cue — for pool
  12. chest — a box
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. cue — a hint
  15. cue — a signal
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. file — a line of people
  19. charge — in control
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. scale — in music
  22. file — a tool
  23. scale — size or range
  24. charge — a price

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