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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. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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. cue — a signal
  4. spell — magic
  5. last — finally
  6. face — to point toward
  7. track — to keep track
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. chest — a box
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. face — to confront
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. face — part of the head
  15. cue — a hint
  16. track — a song
  17. spell — a short time
  18. pound — a weight
  19. spell — letters
  20. cue — for pool
  21. last — final
  22. track — a path
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. last — to go on

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