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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 newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  24. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. chest — of your body
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. pass — a permit
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. object — an aim
  9. content — happy
  10. object — to protest
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. spring — a coil
  13. chest — a box
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. spring — the season
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. spring — of water
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. foot — a measure
  20. object — a thing
  21. content — videos and posts
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. content — the amount
  24. chest — of your body

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