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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. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  2. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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. stick — a piece of wood
  4. suit — to fit
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. land — to come down
  7. club — a group
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. can — to be able to
  10. club — for golf
  11. content — the amount
  12. content — happy
  13. prune — to trim
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. land — ground
  16. can — a tin
  17. prune — to trim
  18. suit — in cards
  19. can — a tin
  20. club — for dancing
  21. chest — of your body
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. suit — clothes
  24. land — a country

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