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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. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  3. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  4. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  5. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  24. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. chest — a box
  3. chest — of your body
  4. chest — of your body
  5. bat — the animal
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. club — a group
  8. content — happy
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. club — for dancing
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. lean — to bend
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. club — for golf
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. bat — for baseball
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. lean — thin
  23. bat — in an idiom
  24. content — the amount

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