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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 120 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.

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: lie · foot · cue · chest · bore · pitcher · bound · wave

  1. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. lie — to recline
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. cue — a hint
  5. cue — a signal
  6. foot — a measure
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. bound — obliged
  9. chest — of your body
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. bound — tied together
  15. bound — certain
  16. cue — for pool
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. bore — to tire
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. bore — to drill
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. chest — a box

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