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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. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. He was locked up in a ________________.
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. dip — to sink
  3. chest — of your body
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. chest — a box
  6. craft — boats
  7. key — the most important part
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. root — of a plant
  11. current — electric
  12. craft — a skill
  13. current — happening now
  14. chest — of your body
  15. key — for a lock
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. root — the cause
  18. root — of a word
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. current — of water
  21. cell — in biology
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. cell — in a prison
  24. cell — a phone

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