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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 120 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. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. chest — a box
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. mark — a trace
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. mark — a grade
  6. scale — size or range
  7. chest — of your body
  8. stand — to bear
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. saw — the tool
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. scale — in music
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. saw — the tool
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. mate — to breed
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. snap — to click
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. chest — of your body
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. mate — a friend
  24. mate — a partner

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