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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. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  10. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. mate — to breed
  3. season — in sport
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. degree — an amount
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. lie — to recline
  9. chest — of your body
  10. degree — temperature
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. mate — a partner
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. degree — from a university
  17. season — of the year
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. stem — to come from
  23. mate — a friend
  24. chest — a box

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