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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. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  3. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. chest — a box
  3. chest — of your body
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. hand — in cards
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. mug — a cup
  9. snap — to click
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. fine — high quality
  12. fine — all right
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. mug — to rob
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. chest — of your body
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. hand — help
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. bowl — to roll

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