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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: chest · kick · last · suit · face · stick · mug · scale

  1. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. chest — of your body
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. face — to confront
  6. suit — clothes
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. kick — in football
  9. last — to go on
  10. chest — a box
  11. suit — to fit
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. mug — to rob
  14. suit — in cards
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. face — to point toward
  17. last — finally
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. scale — size or range
  20. chest — of your body
  21. face — part of the head
  22. mug — a face
  23. scale — in music
  24. last — final

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