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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. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. He was locked up in a ________________.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. saw — the tool
  4. rash — a series
  5. chest — of your body
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. current — of water
  9. rash — hasty
  10. cell — a phone
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. charge — in control
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. cell — in a prison
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. cell — in biology
  19. saw — the tool
  20. charge — a price
  21. current — electric
  22. charge — electricity
  23. current — happening now
  24. chest — a box

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