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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 lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  2. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — a box
  2. chest — of your body
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. rash — a series
  5. present — there
  6. rash — hasty
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. current — happening now
  9. spring — of water
  10. spring — a coil
  11. spring — the season
  12. band — a ring
  13. chest — of your body
  14. current — electric
  15. band — a music group
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. present — the time now
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. present — a gift
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. current — of water
  24. mouse — the animal

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