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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. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. key — the most important part
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. squash — to crush
  5. stem — to come from
  6. key — in music
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. rule — government
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. chest — a box
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. mark — a grade
  14. lean — thin
  15. rule — a law
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. squash — the sport
  18. chest — of your body
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. key — for a lock
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. lean — to bend
  24. mark — a trace

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