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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. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. lie — to recline
  5. chest — a box
  6. rule — government
  7. track — to keep track
  8. track — a song
  9. march — music
  10. rule — a law
  11. chest — of your body
  12. pitch — completely
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. firm — a company
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. march — the month
  17. foot — a measure
  18. firm — decided
  19. firm — steady
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. march — the month
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. track — a path

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