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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. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. current — happening now
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. spring — the season
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. spring — of water
  8. spring — a coil
  9. current — of water
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. current — electric
  12. chest — of your body
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. ball — a dance
  15. saw — the tool
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. saw — the tool
  18. pound — a weight
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. chest — a box
  21. ball — a great time
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. bark — to shout
  24. bark — a dog's sound

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