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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. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  13. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  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 — a box
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. cap — a lid
  4. chest — of your body
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. cap — a hat
  9. clip — to cut
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. track — a song
  12. chest — of your body
  13. clip — a video
  14. mark — a grade
  15. foot — a measure
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. track — to keep track
  20. clip — for paper
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. mark — a trace
  23. cap — of ice
  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