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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 would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. rest — a break
  3. rest — what's left
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. net — for catching
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. present — the time now
  8. net — after costs
  9. arm — a part of something
  10. present — a gift
  11. row — to paddle
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. net — in sport
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. chest — of your body
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. rest — what's left
  20. stand — to bear
  21. row — a line
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. chest — a box
  24. present — there

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