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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. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  19. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. chest — of your body
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. mine — for digging
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. can — a tin
  9. can — to be able to
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. scale — size or range
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. chest — of your body
  19. chest — a box
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. dip — to sink
  22. can — a tin
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. stand — to bear

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