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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. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. current — of water
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. board — to get on
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. suit — clothes
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. suit — in cards
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. board — a committee
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. current — happening now
  16. chest — of your body
  17. rush — hurry
  18. chest — a box
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. file — a line of people
  21. suit — to fit
  22. file — a tool
  23. file — a document
  24. current — electric

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