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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. Have you settled on a ________________?
  2. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. chest — of your body
  3. key — in music
  4. firm — a company
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. chest — of your body
  7. firm — decided
  8. staff — employees
  9. key — for a lock
  10. date — the fruit
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. chest — a box
  15. tube — the underground
  16. key — the most important part
  17. firm — steady
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. tube — a container
  22. staff — employees
  23. staff — a stick
  24. mouse — the animal

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