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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 nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  23. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. current — of water
  11. sharp — clever
  12. suit — to fit
  13. bass — low music
  14. vault — a safe
  15. current — electric
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. bass — the fish
  18. suit — clothes
  19. current — happening now
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. suit — in cards
  22. chest — a box
  23. chest — of your body
  24. hide — animal skin

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