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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 felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  9. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  10. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. kid — to tease
  4. mug — to rob
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. mug — a cup
  8. chest — of your body
  9. chest — a box
  10. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  11. cue — a signal
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. bulb — for light
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. kid — child
  16. mug — a face
  17. foot — a measure
  18. cue — a hint
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. row — a line
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. cue — for pool
  23. bulb — for light
  24. row — to paddle

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