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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. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. root — of a plant
  3. root — of a word
  4. cap — a hat
  5. scale — in music
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. cap — a lid
  8. scale — size or range
  9. rest — what's left
  10. rest — a break
  11. rest — what's left
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. chest — a box
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. hand — help
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. root — the cause
  20. hand — in cards
  21. cap — of ice
  22. chest — of your body
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. coach — a trainer

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