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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. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. The water is too ________________.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  10. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  16. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. rash — a series
  3. rest — a break
  4. cold — not warm
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. rest — what's left
  7. rash — hasty
  8. prune — to trim
  9. chest — of your body
  10. chest — of your body
  11. current — happening now
  12. rest — what's left
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. chest — a box
  16. cold — an illness
  17. prune — to trim
  18. current — electric
  19. suit — to fit
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. current — of water
  22. cold — the Cold War
  23. suit — in cards
  24. safe — out of danger

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