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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. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  5. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — a box
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. chest — of your body
  5. chest — of your body
  6. mug — to rob
  7. pit — in a race
  8. pit — a hole
  9. mug — a face
  10. current — electric
  11. mug — a cup
  12. present — the time now
  13. present — a gift
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. present — there
  18. bore — to tire
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. current — happening now
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. current — of water
  24. bore — to drill

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