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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. My father caught me by the ________________.
  2. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. chest — a box
  3. current — electric
  4. chest — of your body
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. land — a country
  7. land — to come down
  8. deal — to handle
  9. mate — a friend
  10. mate — a partner
  11. bank — of a river
  12. cap — of ice
  13. cap — a hat
  14. cap — a lid
  15. land — ground
  16. mate — to breed
  17. current — happening now
  18. current — of water
  19. chest — of your body
  20. bank — for money
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. bank — for money
  24. arm — part of the body

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