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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. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  7. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  24. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. chest — of your body
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. toast — a drink to someone
  7. toast — the most admired
  8. current — of water
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. chest — a box
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. current — happening now
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. deal — to handle
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. snap — to click
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. current — electric
  23. bark — to shout
  24. toast — bread

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