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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 ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. He was locked up in a ________________.
  5. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. cell — in a prison
  5. chest — a box
  6. suit — in cards
  7. saw — the tool
  8. hand — in cards
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. suit — to fit
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. rush — hurry
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. suit — clothes
  17. hand — help
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. chest — of your body
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. cell — in biology
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. saw — the tool
  24. cell — a phone

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