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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. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  9. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  10. He was locked up in a ________________.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. chest — of your body
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. key — the most important part
  5. season — in sport
  6. jam — a tight spot
  7. cap — a lid
  8. jam — to spread on bread
  9. cell — in biology
  10. cell — in a prison
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. cell — a phone
  13. key — for a lock
  14. cap — of ice
  15. cap — a hat
  16. key — in music
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. season — of the year
  19. branch — a division
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. jam — in traffic
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. chest — a box
  24. mouse — for a computer

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