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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. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  3. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  4. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  20. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. wind — moving air
  3. chest — of your body
  4. wind — moving air
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. bear — the animal
  8. wind — to turn a key
  9. scale — size or range
  10. key — the most important part
  11. key — in music
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. key — for a lock
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. scale — in music
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. pound — to hit hard
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. pound — a weight
  22. chest — a box
  23. bear — the animal
  24. temple — a place of worship

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