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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: fall · foot · chest · charge · mate · wound · mouse · ruler

  1. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  2. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. wound — an injury
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. mate — a partner
  7. chest — of your body
  8. fall — the season
  9. fall — to drop
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. wound — an injury
  12. fall — to drop
  13. chest — a box
  14. charge — electricity
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. charge — in control
  17. mate — a friend
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. mate — to breed
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. charge — a price
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. foot — a measure

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