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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. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. cap — of ice
  3. fork — in a road
  4. bore — to drill
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. chest — of your body
  7. charge — in control
  8. bore — to tire
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. chest — a box
  12. cap — a lid
  13. charge — electricity
  14. club — for golf
  15. net — after costs
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. cap — a hat
  18. club — a group
  19. dip — to sink
  20. net — for catching
  21. club — for dancing
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. net — in sport
  24. charge — a price

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