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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. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  3. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. chest — of your body
  3. chest — a box
  4. hand — in cards
  5. chest — of your body
  6. dip — to sink
  7. swing — in golf
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. firm — steady
  11. firm — decided
  12. rush — hurry
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. wax — to grow
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. swing — music
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. swing — to play on
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. hand — help
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. lie — to recline
  24. firm — a company

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