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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. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — a box
  2. bound — tied together
  3. pass — a permit
  4. chest — of your body
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. bound — certain
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. snap — to click
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. root — of a word
  13. present — the time now
  14. chest — of your body
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. present — a gift
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. root — the cause
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. root — of a plant
  21. present — there
  22. bound — obliged
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. pass — to spend time

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