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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. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. can — a tin
  3. suit — to fit
  4. capital — a city
  5. can — to be able to
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. rush — hurry
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. chest — a box
  10. suit — clothes
  11. capital — money
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. suit — in cards
  14. prune — to trim
  15. hand — in cards
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. capital — a big letter
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. prune — to trim
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. hand — help
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. can — a tin
  24. chest — of your body

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