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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. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. ball — a great time
  4. cap — of ice
  5. chest — of your body
  6. track — a path
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. track — to keep track
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. saw — the tool
  11. saw — the tool
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. chest — a box
  16. track — a song
  17. cap — a lid
  18. current — electric
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. ball — a dance
  21. current — happening now
  22. pass — a permit
  23. current — of water
  24. cap — a hat

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