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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. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  2. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. chest — of your body
  3. rule — a law
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. rule — government
  6. spring — the season
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. object — a thing
  9. pop — music
  10. chest — a box
  11. spring — a coil
  12. object — to protest
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. pop — soda
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. object — an aim
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. sharp — clever
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. spring — of water
  24. pop — to visit

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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