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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. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. ball — a dance
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. fine — all right
  7. chest — of your body
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. fine — high quality
  12. spell — a short time
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. spell — letters
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. ball — a great time
  20. bulb — for light
  21. spell — magic
  22. bulb — for light
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. chest — a box

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