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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. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  10. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  11. He was locked up in a ________________.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. chest — a box
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. capital — a city
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. chest — of your body
  8. wound — an injury
  9. cell — in biology
  10. capital — money
  11. cell — in a prison
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. capital — a big letter
  16. wound — an injury
  17. rash — hasty
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. cell — a phone
  20. ball — a dance
  21. chest — of your body
  22. ball — a great time
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. rash — a series

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