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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. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  2. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  5. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — a box
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. mark — a grade
  4. clip — for paper
  5. chest — of your body
  6. hand — help
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. chip — for betting
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. hand — in cards
  11. clip — a video
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. clip — to cut
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. chest — of your body
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. mark — a trace
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. chip — to eat

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