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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. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. chest — of your body
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. mug — a face
  6. object — a thing
  7. chest — a box
  8. hand — in cards
  9. hand — help
  10. wound — an injury
  11. firm — decided
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. firm — a company
  15. chest — of your body
  16. object — to protest
  17. object — an aim
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. mug — a cup
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. wound — an injury
  24. firm — steady

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