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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. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  3. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. chest — of your body
  3. chest — a box
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. tube — a container
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. chest — of your body
  9. snap — to click
  10. rest — what's left
  11. bear — the animal
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. tube — the underground
  14. saw — the tool
  15. bear — the animal
  16. mark — a trace
  17. ball — a dance
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. rest — what's left
  21. rest — a break
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. mark — a grade
  24. ball — a great time

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