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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. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  14. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  15. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  18. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  19. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. tear — from crying
  3. season — of the year
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. mark — a grade
  8. scale — size or range
  9. kid — to tease
  10. firm — decided
  11. lie — to recline
  12. season — in sport
  13. chest — of your body
  14. tear — to rip
  15. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. tear — from crying
  18. chest — a box
  19. kid — child
  20. scale — in music
  21. firm — steady
  22. firm — a company
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. mark — a trace

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