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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. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  8. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. chest — of your body
  3. bear — the animal
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. sharp — clever
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. toast — the most admired
  8. chest — a box
  9. wake — a trail
  10. toast — bread
  11. board — to get on
  12. file — a document
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. file — a tool
  15. toast — a drink to someone
  16. board — a committee
  17. fork — in a road
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. file — a line of people
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. bear — the animal
  24. fork — to eat with

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