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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 works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. chest — of your body
  3. can — a tin
  4. lean — thin
  5. can — to be able to
  6. chest — of your body
  7. ball — a great time
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. firm — steady
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. lean — to bend
  13. can — a tin
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. rash — a series
  17. chest — a box
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. ball — a dance
  22. rash — hasty
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. firm — decided

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