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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. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. track — to keep track
  3. chest — a box
  4. track — a song
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. bound — obliged
  7. rock — music
  8. bound — tied together
  9. can — a tin
  10. chest — of your body
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. perch — the fish
  13. track — a path
  14. can — to be able to
  15. saw — the tool
  16. rock — a stone
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. bound — certain
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. can — a tin
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. saw — the tool
  24. perch — for a bird

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