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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. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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. firm — steady
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. kid — child
  6. spring — a coil
  7. cap — a hat
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. cap — of ice
  10. chest — a box
  11. spring — of water
  12. cap — a lid
  13. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. firm — decided
  16. firm — a company
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. kid — to tease
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. fine — high quality
  23. spring — the season
  24. fine — all right

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