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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. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. chest — of your body
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. row — to paddle
  6. charge — electricity
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. charge — a price
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. bulb — for light
  12. charge — in control
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. craft — a skill
  15. craft — boats
  16. hand — in cards
  17. chest — a box
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. bulb — for light
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. row — a line
  23. hand — help
  24. perch — the fish

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