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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. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  2. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — a box
  2. chest — of your body
  3. fine — all right
  4. chest — of your body
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. swing — to play on
  7. pound — a weight
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. face — part of the head
  14. face — to point toward
  15. face — to confront
  16. swing — in golf
  17. ball — a dance
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. ball — a great time
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. swing — music
  23. fork — in a road
  24. fine — high quality

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