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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: game · lean · fine · chest · racket · cabinet · file · foot

  1. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. chest — of your body
  4. file — a line of people
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. chest — a box
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. fine — all right
  10. foot — a measure
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. game — wild animals
  13. game — a match
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. file — a document
  18. file — a tool
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. fine — high quality
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. lean — thin
  23. lean — to bend
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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