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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. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — a box
  2. chest — of your body
  3. sharp — clever
  4. face — part of the head
  5. bear — the animal
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. face — to confront
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. net — in sport
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. can — a tin
  13. net — after costs
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. can — a tin
  16. chest — of your body
  17. net — for catching
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. tube — a container
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. bear — the animal
  22. face — to point toward
  23. can — to be able to
  24. tube — the underground

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