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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. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. chest — of your body
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. tear — to rip
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. tear — from crying
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. chest — a box
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. foot — a measure
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. tear — from crying
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. ball — a great time
  21. ball — a dance
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. safe — out of danger

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