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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. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. When was this ________________ built?
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. chest — of your body
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. current — happening now
  5. saw — the tool
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. snap — to click
  9. current — of water
  10. saw — the tool
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. chest — a box
  14. pound — a weight
  15. current — electric
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. fork — in a road
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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