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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.

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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. When was this ________________ built?
  2. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. chest — a box
  3. current — happening now
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. hand — help
  6. bear — the animal
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. root — the cause
  9. current — electric
  10. chest — of your body
  11. key — the most important part
  12. key — for a lock
  13. pound — a weight
  14. bear — the animal
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. current — of water
  17. hand — in cards
  18. key — in music
  19. chest — of your body
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. root — of a plant
  22. root — of a word
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. temple — a place of worship

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