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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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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: bulb · chest · date · club · toast · wound · firm · sharp

  1. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  3. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  4. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. Have you settled on a ________________?
  21. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  22. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. chest — of your body
  3. chest — a box
  4. chest — of your body
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. wound — an injury
  7. firm — steady
  8. firm — decided
  9. sharp — clever
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. bulb — for light
  12. date — the fruit
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. club — a group
  16. wound — an injury
  17. bulb — for light
  18. toast — a drink to someone
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. toast — bread
  22. toast — the most admired
  23. firm — a company
  24. club — for golf

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