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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. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  19. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. chest — of your body
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. chest — of your body
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. clip — to cut
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. pound — a weight
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. bulb — for light
  14. pound — to hit hard
  15. bulb — for light
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. chest — a box
  19. clip — for paper
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. clip — a video
  24. bowl — to roll

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