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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. David sat on the ________________.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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. swing — to play on
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. chest — a box
  6. mug — a face
  7. mug — to rob
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. craft — a skill
  11. mug — a cup
  12. craft — boats
  13. swing — in golf
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. fine — high quality
  16. fine — all right
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. game — wild animals
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. game — a match
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. swing — music

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