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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. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. swing — to play on
  5. suit — clothes
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. chest — of your body
  9. swing — music
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. mine — for digging
  13. pop — to visit
  14. suit — in cards
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. pop — soda
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. swing — in golf
  21. chest — a box
  22. pop — music
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. suit — to fit

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