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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. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. current — happening now
  3. hand — help
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. chest — of your body
  8. current — electric
  9. chest — a box
  10. bark — to shout
  11. current — of water
  12. hand — in cards
  13. rash — a series
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. foot — a measure
  22. stem — to come from
  23. rash — hasty
  24. hide — to keep secret

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