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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. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — a box
  2. rock — music
  3. craft — boats
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. mine — for digging
  8. present — the time now
  9. chest — of your body
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. ball — a dance
  14. chest — of your body
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. present — there
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. rock — a stone
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. present — a gift
  22. craft — a skill
  23. ball — a great time
  24. stand — to bear

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