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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. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — a box
  2. bear — the animal
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. chest — of your body
  5. drill — army training
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. bear — the animal
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. drill — a practice
  10. fall — the season
  11. chest — of your body
  12. drill — the tool
  13. fall — to drop
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. current — happening now
  16. pop — music
  17. pop — soda
  18. fall — to drop
  19. current — of water
  20. current — electric
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. pop — to visit
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. fan — a supporter

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