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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. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. suit — to fit
  3. track — a song
  4. ball — a dance
  5. suit — clothes
  6. ground — crushed
  7. face — to confront
  8. face — part of the head
  9. bulb — for light
  10. chest — of your body
  11. rest — what's left
  12. ground — the earth
  13. track — a path
  14. chest — a box
  15. bulb — for light
  16. ground — a position
  17. rest — a break
  18. face — to point toward
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. rest — what's left
  22. suit — in cards
  23. ball — a great time
  24. track — to keep track

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