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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. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  5. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. jam — to spread on bread
  3. face — to point toward
  4. jam — in traffic
  5. chest — a box
  6. rest — what's left
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. jam — a tight spot
  9. rest — a break
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. face — part of the head
  12. land — to come down
  13. land — a country
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. stock — goods
  16. prune — to trim
  17. chest — of your body
  18. land — ground
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. stock — shares
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. face — to confront
  23. rest — what's left
  24. prune — to trim

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