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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's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. toast — the most admired
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. cap — of ice
  5. cap — a hat
  6. chest — of your body
  7. firm — decided
  8. suit — in cards
  9. cap — a lid
  10. rush — hurry
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. toast — a drink to someone
  14. suit — to fit
  15. toast — bread
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. firm — steady
  18. chest — of your body
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. firm — a company
  21. wound — an injury
  22. wound — an injury
  23. chest — a box
  24. suit — clothes

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