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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 120 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. There's no middle ________________.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. ground — a position
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. chest — of your body
  6. lie — to recline
  7. wax — to grow
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. ground — crushed
  10. deal — to handle
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. chest — a box
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. pitch — completely
  19. bulb — for light
  20. ground — the earth
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. bulb — for light
  24. bulb — of a plant

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