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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 don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  13. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. chest — of your body
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. spring — the season
  8. bat — in an idiom
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. spring — of water
  11. season — in sport
  12. bat — for baseball
  13. chest — a box
  14. rock — a stone
  15. season — of the year
  16. bat — the animal
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. spring — a coil
  22. rock — music
  23. pass — a permit
  24. safe — a strongbox

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