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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 120 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. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — a box
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. present — there
  4. bank — for money
  5. tube — the underground
  6. chest — of your body
  7. ball — a dance
  8. snap — to click
  9. ball — a great time
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. current — electric
  13. current — happening now
  14. chest — of your body
  15. stem — to come from
  16. present — a gift
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. tube — a container
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. bank — of a river
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. bank — for money
  23. current — of water
  24. present — the time now

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