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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. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. wound — an injury
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. chest — of your body
  7. chip — to eat
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. chest — a box
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. bank — of a river
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. bank — for money
  16. chip — for betting
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. bank — for money
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. wound — an injury
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. racket — for tennis

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