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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. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  10. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  20. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  21. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  22. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. We're on a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. chest — of your body
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. hand — in cards
  5. toast — the most admired
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. jam — to spread on bread
  10. toast — bread
  11. hand — help
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. roll — a cake
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. fall — to drop
  16. toast — a drink to someone
  17. fall — the season
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. jam — a tight spot
  20. roll — a list
  21. jam — in traffic
  22. chest — a box
  23. fall — to drop
  24. roll — on a roll

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