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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. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. We're on a ________________ here.
  23. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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. rock — music
  4. chair — a professorship
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. bass — the fish
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. foot — a measure
  11. rock — a stone
  12. roll — a list
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. hand — in cards
  16. hand — help
  17. chest — a box
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. bass — low music
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. roll — on a roll
  23. roll — a cake
  24. chair — a leader

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