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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 120 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. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  7. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. cap — of ice
  3. current — of water
  4. face — to confront
  5. mug — to rob
  6. chest — of your body
  7. chest — a box
  8. pop — soda
  9. current — happening now
  10. pop — music
  11. face — part of the head
  12. mug — a cup
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. current — electric
  15. cap — a hat
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. lean — thin
  18. craft — boats
  19. mug — a face
  20. craft — a skill
  21. pop — to visit
  22. cap — a lid
  23. face — to point toward
  24. lean — to bend

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