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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. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. He was locked up in a ________________.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  22. When was this ________________ built?
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. cell — in a prison
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. current — happening now
  5. current — of water
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. wound — an injury
  8. wound — an injury
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. current — electric
  14. tube — a container
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. cell — in biology
  17. rock — music
  18. fork — in a road
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. cell — a phone
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. tube — the underground
  24. arm — a part of something

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