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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 party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. chest — of your body
  3. mark — a trace
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. chest — a box
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. scale — size or range
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. rock — music
  15. rock — a stone
  16. land — a country
  17. mark — a grade
  18. chest — of your body
  19. land — ground
  20. rash — hasty
  21. scale — in music
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. land — to come down
  24. rash — on the skin

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