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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. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  10. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. chair — a leader
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. suit — to fit
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. suit — clothes
  7. hand — in cards
  8. bear — the animal
  9. chair — a professorship
  10. chest — a box
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. suit — in cards
  14. bear — the animal
  15. hand — help
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. dip — to sink
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. chest — of your body
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. chair — to sit on

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