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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. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  22. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. current — electric
  3. current — of water
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. field — for sport
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. rest — what's left
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. current — happening now
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. rest — a break
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. field — a subject
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. chest — of your body
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. field — farmland
  19. rest — what's left
  20. mine — for digging
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. chest — of your body
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. chest — a box

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