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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. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. Have you settled on a ________________?
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. shower — rain
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. present — the time now
  5. present — there
  6. date — the fruit
  7. root — of a word
  8. current — electric
  9. root — the cause
  10. prune — to trim
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. present — a gift
  13. chest — a box
  14. prune — to trim
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. shower — to wash
  17. chest — of your body
  18. current — of water
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. current — happening now
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. root — of a plant

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