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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. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  8. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — a box
  2. net — for catching
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. kid — child
  5. rock — a stone
  6. foot — a measure
  7. kid — to tease
  8. chest — of your body
  9. dip — to sink
  10. net — after costs
  11. track — to keep track
  12. mug — a face
  13. track — a path
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. chest — of your body
  16. mug — a cup
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. net — in sport
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  22. mug — to rob
  23. rock — music
  24. track — a song

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