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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. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. current — electric
  3. pop — to visit
  4. ball — a great time
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. chest — a box
  7. present — there
  8. current — happening now
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. pop — soda
  13. current — of water
  14. present — a gift
  15. pop — music
  16. chest — of your body
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. rock — a stone
  19. rock — music
  20. ball — a dance
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. present — the time now

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