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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. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. present — the time now
  4. chair — a professorship
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. chest — a box
  7. bore — to tire
  8. rock — music
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. rock — a stone
  11. present — there
  12. row — to paddle
  13. mug — a face
  14. present — a gift
  15. chair — a leader
  16. mug — a cup
  17. current — happening now
  18. bore — to drill
  19. current — of water
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. current — electric
  22. chest — of your body
  23. row — a line
  24. mug — to rob

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