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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. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. chest — of your body
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. bore — to drill
  9. object — to protest
  10. bore — to tire
  11. stand — to bear
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. sharp — clever
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. club — for dancing
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. club — a group
  18. object — an aim
  19. club — for golf
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. chest — a box
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. dip — to sink
  24. object — a thing

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