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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. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  2. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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. snap — to click
  4. can — to be able to
  5. can — a tin
  6. mine — for digging
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. can — a tin
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. charge — a price
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. charge — electricity
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. prune — to trim
  17. prune — to trim
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. chest — of your body
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. vault — a safe
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. charge — in control
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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