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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. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  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. current — happening now
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. mug — a cup
  4. ball — a dance
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. mug — a face
  9. ball — a great time
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. chest — of your body
  12. face — part of the head
  13. current — of water
  14. vault — a safe
  15. face — to confront
  16. mug — to rob
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. current — electric
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. face — to point toward
  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