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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. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  2. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. chest — of your body
  3. mark — a grade
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. club — a group
  6. chest — a box
  7. club — for golf
  8. current — electric
  9. mark — a trace
  10. current — happening now
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. prune — to trim
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. band — a ring
  16. bear — the animal
  17. prune — to trim
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. bear — the animal
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. band — a music group
  23. current — of water
  24. club — for dancing

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