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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. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. lean — to bend
  3. lean — thin
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. board — a committee
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. rock — a stone
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. jam — in traffic
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. rock — music
  14. chest — a box
  15. bound — tied together
  16. jam — to spread on bread
  17. kick — in football
  18. chest — of your body
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. bound — obliged
  21. jam — a tight spot
  22. bound — certain
  23. board — to get on
  24. lean — to rest against

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