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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. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  10. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — a box
  2. scale — size or range
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. file — a line of people
  6. file — a document
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. charge — a price
  9. toast — a drink to someone
  10. toast — bread
  11. scale — in music
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. chest — of your body
  14. root — the cause
  15. bass — the fish
  16. chest — of your body
  17. bass — low music
  18. root — of a plant
  19. charge — in control
  20. charge — electricity
  21. toast — the most admired
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. file — a tool
  24. root — of a word

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