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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. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  9. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. rest — what's left
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. chest — a box
  5. land — to come down
  6. suit — in cards
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. chest — of your body
  9. arm — a part of something
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. land — a country
  14. land — ground
  15. rest — a break
  16. rest — what's left
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. pound — a weight
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. suit — clothes
  22. suit — to fit
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. pitcher — a jug

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