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

Word bank: rock · firm · cell · season · chest · perch · cue · kick

  1. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  2. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. He was locked up in a ________________.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. perch — the fish
  4. season — of the year
  5. kick — in football
  6. rock — a stone
  7. cue — for pool
  8. firm — steady
  9. cue — a signal
  10. cell — in biology
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. cell — in a prison
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. cell — a phone
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. firm — decided
  19. rock — music
  20. chest — a box
  21. cue — a hint
  22. season — in sport
  23. chest — of your body
  24. firm — a company

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