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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. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  13. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. root — the cause
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. rule — a law
  7. saw — the tool
  8. toast — a drink to someone
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. scale — in music
  12. toast — bread
  13. chest — a box
  14. rule — government
  15. toast — the most admired
  16. root — of a plant
  17. craft — a skill
  18. saw — the tool
  19. scale — size or range
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. root — of a word
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. chest — of your body
  24. craft — boats

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