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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. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. When was this ________________ built?
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. chest — a box
  5. current — of water
  6. saw — the tool
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. bound — certain
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. current — happening now
  12. bound — tied together
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. chest — of your body
  15. hand — help
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. saw — the tool
  18. chest — of your body
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. hand — in cards
  21. current — electric
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. bound — obliged

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