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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. We're on a ________________ here.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  23. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — on a roll
  2. rock — a stone
  3. chest — of your body
  4. rush — hurry
  5. hand — in cards
  6. chest — a box
  7. rock — music
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. key — for a lock
  13. hand — help
  14. fork — in a road
  15. roll — a list
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. key — the most important part
  19. stem — to come from
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. roll — a cake
  23. chest — of your body
  24. key — in music

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