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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. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  22. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. current — of water
  4. current — electric
  5. game — a match
  6. stock — goods
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. chest — of your body
  9. mug — a cup
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. foot — a measure
  13. stock — shares
  14. race — humankind
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. game — wild animals
  17. wax — to grow
  18. current — happening now
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. mug — a face
  21. race — the arms race
  22. race — a contest
  23. mug — to rob
  24. chest — a box

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