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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. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  12. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  18. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. chest — of your body
  4. drill — the tool
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. drill — a practice
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. drill — army training
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. pit — in a race
  11. jam — in traffic
  12. toast — the most admired
  13. ball — a dance
  14. jam — a tight spot
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. toast — a drink to someone
  18. jam — to spread on bread
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. ball — a great time
  21. chest — a box
  22. pit — a hole
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. toast — bread

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