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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. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. spring — a coil
  4. current — happening now
  5. spring — the season
  6. chest — of your body
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. fork — in a road
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. chest — a box
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. pass — a permit
  15. spring — of water
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. current — electric
  19. current — of water
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. lash — to lash out

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