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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. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — a box
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. track — a song
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. swing — music
  7. lie — to recline
  8. chest — of your body
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. track — a path
  12. kick — in football
  13. swing — in golf
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. sharp — clever
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. track — to keep track
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. foot — a measure
  21. swing — to play on
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. branch — a division
  24. chest — of your 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