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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 kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. firm — decided
  3. scale — size or range
  4. firm — a company
  5. swing — in golf
  6. spring — of water
  7. chest — a box
  8. rest — what's left
  9. swing — to play on
  10. firm — steady
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. chest — of your body
  13. rest — what's left
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. scale — in music
  16. spring — the season
  17. chest — of your body
  18. spring — a coil
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. rest — a break
  22. swing — music
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. sharp — clever

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