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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.

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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: pound · racket · lie · chest · present · foot · mate · fan

  1. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. chest — a box
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. present — the time now
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. mate — to breed
  13. mate — a partner
  14. mate — a friend
  15. pound — a weight
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. foot — a measure
  19. lie — to recline
  20. present — there
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. present — a gift
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. chest — of your body

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