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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. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  5. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. chest — a box
  5. chest — of your body
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. key — for a lock
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. rest — what's left
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. rest — what's left
  15. band — a music group
  16. band — a ring
  17. key — the most important part
  18. chest — of your body
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. mine — for digging
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. rest — a break

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