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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 ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  8. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  9. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. He was locked up in a ________________.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. chest — of your body
  4. object — an aim
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. chest — a box
  8. chest — of your body
  9. cell — a phone
  10. current — happening now
  11. cell — in a prison
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. capital — a city
  14. object — a thing
  15. current — electric
  16. dip — to sink
  17. cell — in biology
  18. object — to protest
  19. current — of water
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. capital — money
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. capital — a big letter

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