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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. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  2. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  16. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  17. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. club — a group
  3. season — in sport
  4. rest — what's left
  5. tear — to rip
  6. pop — music
  7. tear — from crying
  8. bore — to drill
  9. season — of the year
  10. bore — to tire
  11. race — a contest
  12. race — the arms race
  13. pop — soda
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. tear — from crying
  16. chest — a box
  17. chest — of your body
  18. club — for dancing
  19. rest — a break
  20. pop — to visit
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. club — for golf
  23. rest — what's left
  24. race — humankind

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