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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. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. present — the time now
  3. chest — a box
  4. current — of water
  5. toast — a drink to someone
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. stock — shares
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. toast — bread
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. bear — the animal
  14. stock — goods
  15. bear — the animal
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. present — there
  18. chest — of your body
  19. current — happening now
  20. present — a gift
  21. toast — the most admired
  22. chair — a leader
  23. current — electric
  24. stock — a soup base

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