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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. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  17. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. file — a document
  3. root — the cause
  4. file — a line of people
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. root — of a word
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. charge — in control
  9. bulb — for light
  10. cue — for pool
  11. snap — to click
  12. charge — electricity
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. cue — a signal
  15. bulb — for light
  16. chest — of your body
  17. chest — a box
  18. root — of a plant
  19. file — a tool
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. cue — a hint
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. charge — a price

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