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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. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. lean — thin
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. fine — all right
  5. chest — of your body
  6. current — of water
  7. stock — shares
  8. swing — in golf
  9. track — a song
  10. current — happening now
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. chest — a box
  14. swing — music
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. lean — to bend
  19. current — electric
  20. track — a path
  21. stock — goods
  22. track — to keep track
  23. swing — to play on
  24. fine — high quality

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