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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. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  5. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. current — electric
  4. chest — of your body
  5. chest — a box
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. current — happening now
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. stand — to bear
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. squash — to crush
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. current — of water
  19. squash — the sport
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. wax — to grow
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. calf — a young animal

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