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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. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. Have you settled on a ________________?
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  22. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. charge — in control
  3. craft — boats
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. can — a tin
  6. charge — electricity
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. can — to be able to
  9. craft — a skill
  10. chest — of your body
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. charge — a price
  13. date — the fruit
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. row — a line
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. chest — a box
  18. cue — a hint
  19. cue — for pool
  20. can — a tin
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. row — to paddle
  23. row — a quarrel
  24. cue — a signal

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