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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. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. chest — a box
  3. snap — to click
  4. cue — for pool
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. race — a contest
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. cue — a hint
  11. race — the arms race
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. cue — a signal
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. rock — a stone
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. race — humankind
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. rock — music
  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