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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. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  12. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  21. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  22. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. Have you settled on a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. object — to protest
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. date — the fruit
  5. firm — a company
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. firm — decided
  9. object — an aim
  10. firm — steady
  11. toast — the most admired
  12. chest — a box
  13. rush — hurry
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. toast — bread
  17. scale — size or range
  18. object — a thing
  19. chair — a leader
  20. chest — of your body
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. toast — a drink to someone
  23. scale — in music
  24. date — on the calendar

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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