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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. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  11. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. chest — of your body
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. swing — in golf
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. wind — moving air
  7. foot — a measure
  8. toast — a drink to someone
  9. swing — music
  10. wind — moving air
  11. toast — bread
  12. mark — a trace
  13. chest — a box
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. toast — the most admired
  18. mark — a grade
  19. ball — a great time
  20. chest — of your body
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. ball — a dance
  23. swing — to play on
  24. wind — to turn a key

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