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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. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  2. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — a box
  2. chest — of your body
  3. present — there
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. bear — the animal
  6. spell — magic
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. press — newspapers
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. present — the time now
  11. current — happening now
  12. bear — the animal
  13. spell — letters
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. foot — a measure
  17. present — a gift
  18. current — of water
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. press — to push
  21. current — electric
  22. press — a publisher
  23. chest — of your body
  24. spell — a short time

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