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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. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. squash — the sport
  3. chest — of your body
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. chest — a box
  8. key — for a lock
  9. saw — the tool
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. perch — the fish
  12. club — a group
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. deal — to handle
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. dip — to sink
  19. key — the most important part
  20. club — for dancing
  21. key — in music
  22. club — for golf
  23. saw — the tool
  24. squash — to crush

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