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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. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. stock — goods
  4. firm — steady
  5. firm — a company
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. pop — soda
  9. pop — music
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. stock — shares
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. chest — of your body
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. firm — decided
  22. pop — to visit
  23. chest — a box
  24. coach — a trainer

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