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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. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. saw — the tool
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. swing — music
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. swing — to play on
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. swing — in golf
  10. saw — the tool
  11. key — the most important part
  12. bark — to shout
  13. staff — employees
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. staff — a stick
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. staff — employees
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. chest — of your body
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. key — for a lock
  22. chest — a box
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. key — in music

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