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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. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. pass — a permit
  4. chest — a box
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. net — in sport
  7. net — after costs
  8. tube — the underground
  9. chest — of your body
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. tube — a container
  15. pit — a hole
  16. mark — a trace
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. pit — in a race
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. net — for catching
  23. mark — a grade
  24. racket — a loud noise

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