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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. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  15. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. fall — the season
  3. track — a song
  4. march — music
  5. fall — to drop
  6. mug — a cup
  7. staff — a stick
  8. track — a path
  9. march — the month
  10. mug — a face
  11. staff — employees
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. rush — hurry
  14. chest — a box
  15. chest — of your body
  16. march — the month
  17. staff — employees
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. pit — a hole
  20. fall — to drop
  21. pit — in a race
  22. track — to keep track
  23. mug — to rob
  24. rush — a thrill

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