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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. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. bass — the fish
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. chest — of your body
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. bat — for baseball
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. rock — music
  16. rock — a stone
  17. bat — the animal
  18. deal — to handle
  19. lie — to recline
  20. bass — low music
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. chest — a box
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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