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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 lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. chest — a box
  3. last — to go on
  4. cue — a signal
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. cue — for pool
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. chest — of your body
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. deal — to handle
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. last — final
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. band — a music group
  17. last — finally
  18. cue — a hint
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. band — a ring
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. fan — to cool the air

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