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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. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  24. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. chest — a box
  3. fall — to drop
  4. mug — to rob
  5. board — to get on
  6. board — a committee
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. mug — a face
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. face — to point toward
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. rush — hurry
  14. face — to confront
  15. chest — of your body
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. face — part of the head
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. mug — a cup
  22. fall — to drop
  23. fall — the season
  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