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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. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. saw — the tool
  3. wax — to grow
  4. kid — to tease
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. chest — a box
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. bear — the animal
  10. chest — of your body
  11. staff — employees
  12. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. suit — to fit
  15. kid — child
  16. staff — employees
  17. saw — the tool
  18. staff — a stick
  19. suit — clothes
  20. suit — in cards
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. bear — the animal
  23. rock — a stone
  24. rock — music

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