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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. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  2. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  14. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. club — a group
  3. bulb — for light
  4. chest — of your body
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. rock — a stone
  7. club — for dancing
  8. spell — letters
  9. chest — a box
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. spell — a short time
  12. spell — magic
  13. jam — a tight spot
  14. jam — in traffic
  15. rock — music
  16. club — for golf
  17. kick — in football
  18. hand — in cards
  19. bulb — for light
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. jam — to spread on bread
  24. hand — help

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