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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. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. rash — hasty
  7. pitch — completely
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. board — to get on
  10. chest — of your body
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. bear — the animal
  13. rush — hurry
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. snap — to click
  17. bear — the animal
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. chest — a box
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. board — a committee
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. rash — a series

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