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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. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. ball — a great time
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. chip — to eat
  5. ball — a dance
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. current — electric
  9. chest — a box
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. jam — to spread on bread
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. chest — of your body
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. current — happening now
  20. jam — in traffic
  21. current — of water
  22. chip — for betting
  23. jam — a tight spot
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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