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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. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  15. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. wake — a trail
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. scale — in music
  7. mug — a face
  8. staff — employees
  9. scale — size or range
  10. pass — a permit
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. chest — a box
  15. chest — of your body
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. mug — to rob
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. staff — a stick
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. staff — employees
  23. leaves — lets stay
  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