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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. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. club — a group
  4. band — a music group
  5. suit — clothes
  6. club — for dancing
  7. suit — in cards
  8. net — for catching
  9. race — humankind
  10. suit — to fit
  11. club — for golf
  12. chest — a box
  13. net — in sport
  14. mug — to rob
  15. net — after costs
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. band — a ring
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. race — the arms race
  20. mug — a cup
  21. race — a contest
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. chest — of your body
  24. mug — a face

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