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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: kick · rock · chest · tube · key · fall · mug · file

  1. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  11. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. rock — a stone
  4. fall — to drop
  5. mug — to rob
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. file — a document
  8. key — the most important part
  9. mug — a face
  10. chest — a box
  11. chest — of your body
  12. key — in music
  13. tube — the underground
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. tube — a container
  16. key — for a lock
  17. file — a tool
  18. fall — the season
  19. kick — in football
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. rock — music
  22. mug — a cup
  23. file — a line of people
  24. fall — to drop

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