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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. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — a box
  2. current — electric
  3. spell — letters
  4. bore — to drill
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. face — to point toward
  7. suit — in cards
  8. chest — of your body
  9. face — part of the head
  10. spell — a short time
  11. current — happening now
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. rash — hasty
  15. suit — clothes
  16. rash — a series
  17. spell — magic
  18. suit — to fit
  19. bore — to tire
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. chest — of your body
  22. face — to confront
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. current — of water

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