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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. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  7. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. swing — in golf
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. swing — music
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. chest — a box
  7. wound — an injury
  8. net — for catching
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. chest — of your body
  12. pound — a weight
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. tube — the underground
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. wound — an injury
  17. swing — to play on
  18. net — after costs
  19. net — in sport
  20. rush — hurry
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. tube — a container
  23. wound — past of 'wind'
  24. tube — in a tire

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