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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. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  21. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. chest — of your body
  3. fall — to drop
  4. cap — a lid
  5. cap — of ice
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. suit — in cards
  9. suit — clothes
  10. chest — a box
  11. cap — a hat
  12. foot — a measure
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. rush — hurry
  15. fall — to drop
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. suit — to fit
  18. jam — to spread on bread
  19. fall — the season
  20. jam — a tight spot
  21. jam — in traffic
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. chest — of your body

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