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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. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  19. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. chest — of your body
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. rash — a series
  5. swing — music
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. key — in music
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. swing — to play on
  11. cue — a signal
  12. cue — a hint
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. content — happy
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. content — the amount
  18. chest — a box
  19. chest — of your body
  20. cue — for pool
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. key — the most important part
  23. swing — in golf
  24. key — for a lock

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