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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. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. hand — help
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. hand — in cards
  5. root — the cause
  6. current — electric
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. chest — of your body
  9. current — of water
  10. current — happening now
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. suit — clothes
  13. suit — to fit
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. firm — a company
  16. root — of a plant
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. root — of a word
  19. suit — in cards
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. firm — steady
  22. dip — to sink
  23. firm — decided
  24. chest — a box

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