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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. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  5. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  22. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. bear — the animal
  3. last — to go on
  4. chest — of your body
  5. clip — to cut
  6. bear — the animal
  7. tube — a container
  8. firm — a company
  9. staff — a stick
  10. staff — employees
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. last — finally
  13. tube — the underground
  14. stock — goods
  15. last — final
  16. firm — steady
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. clip — a video
  19. stock — shares
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. clip — for paper
  22. chest — a box
  23. firm — decided
  24. staff — employees

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