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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. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  15. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  18. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. current — of water
  4. perch — the fish
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. can — to be able to
  7. current — electric
  8. board — a committee
  9. object — an aim
  10. can — a tin
  11. chest — of your body
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. object — to protest
  14. tear — from crying
  15. chest — a box
  16. board — to get on
  17. tear — to rip
  18. tear — from crying
  19. current — happening now
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. pound — a weight
  23. object — a thing
  24. can — a tin

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