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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. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — a box
  2. current — happening now
  3. chest — of your body
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. tube — a container
  6. chair — a leader
  7. swing — music
  8. mate — a partner
  9. present — the time now
  10. current — electric
  11. mate — to breed
  12. swing — to play on
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. mate — a friend
  16. present — a gift
  17. swing — in golf
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. present — there
  21. current — of water
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. chest — of your body
  24. tube — the underground

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