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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. I'll be taking the ________________.
  2. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  7. He was locked up in a ________________.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. cell — a phone
  3. current — of water
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. current — electric
  6. chest — of your body
  7. cell — in a prison
  8. bore — to drill
  9. chest — a box
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. bore — to tire
  12. current — happening now
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. cell — in biology
  19. net — in sport
  20. net — after costs
  21. chest — of your body
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. tube — a container
  24. net — for catching

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