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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.

Make a worksheet

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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  2. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  9. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  12. The water is too ________________.
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — a box
  2. chest — of your body
  3. suit — to fit
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. pound — a weight
  6. current — of water
  7. current — happening now
  8. cold — an illness
  9. cold — the Cold War
  10. pass — a permit
  11. chest — of your body
  12. cold — not warm
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. suit — clothes
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. suit — in cards
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. current — electric

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