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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. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. mug — a face
  5. chest — a box
  6. rush — hurry
  7. root — of a word
  8. bound — certain
  9. mug — to rob
  10. root — the cause
  11. root — of a plant
  12. mug — a cup
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. wake — a trail
  15. track — a song
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. chest — of your body
  18. track — to keep track
  19. bound — obliged
  20. kid — to tease
  21. track — a path
  22. kid — child
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. bound — tied together

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