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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. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  24. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. court — of a king
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. bore — to drill
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. court — for sport
  14. rush — hurry
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. chest — of your body
  17. bore — to tire
  18. current — electric
  19. current — of water
  20. court — of law
  21. current — happening now
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. chest — of your body
  24. chest — a box

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