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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. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — a box
  2. field — for sport
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. present — there
  5. chest — of your body
  6. land — a country
  7. field — farmland
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. arm — a part of something
  10. mug — a face
  11. charge — in control
  12. field — a subject
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. mug — to rob
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. land — ground
  17. chest — of your body
  18. present — a gift
  19. charge — electricity
  20. present — the time now
  21. land — to come down
  22. charge — a price
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. mug — a cup

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