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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. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. chest — a box
  2. track — a song
  3. chest — of your body
  4. land — ground
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. chest — of your body
  8. land — to come down
  9. track — a path
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. fall — the season
  12. shower — a meteor shower
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. key — in music
  15. fall — to drop
  16. shower — to wash
  17. key — the most important part
  18. shower — rain
  19. track — to keep track
  20. fall — to drop
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. stand — to bear
  23. land — a country
  24. key — for a lock

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