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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. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. key — in music
  3. chest — of your body
  4. fall — to drop
  5. current — happening now
  6. chest — of your body
  7. hand — in cards
  8. hand — help
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. bore — to tire
  11. chest — a box
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. fall — the season
  14. stem — to come from
  15. fall — to drop
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. key — the most important part
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. current — of water
  20. key — for a lock
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. bore — to drill
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. current — electric

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