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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. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  2. David sat on the ________________.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. swing — to play on
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. rest — a break
  5. march — the month
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. chest — a box
  8. swing — in golf
  9. deal — to handle
  10. rest — what's left
  11. swing — music
  12. cap — of ice
  13. mug — to rob
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. mug — a cup
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. cap — a lid
  18. march — the month
  19. mug — a face
  20. march — music
  21. rest — what's left
  22. cap — a hat
  23. chest — of your body
  24. arm — part of the body

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