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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. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. Have you settled on a ________________?
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — a box
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. swing — in golf
  4. chest — of your body
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. swing — to play on
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. swing — music
  14. date — the fruit
  15. lie — to recline
  16. stem — to come from
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. chest — of your body
  24. leaves — to go away

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