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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. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. chest — of your body
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. last — final
  8. ground — crushed
  9. ground — the earth
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. ground — a position
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. last — finally
  14. lean — thin
  15. bear — the animal
  16. last — to go on
  17. bore — to drill
  18. bear — the animal
  19. current — of water
  20. chest — a box
  21. current — happening now
  22. bore — to tire
  23. current — electric
  24. lean — to bend

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