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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: chest · temple · racket · safe · current · rule · bore · wind

  1. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  2. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. chest — of your body
  3. current — of water
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. rule — a law
  6. wind — to turn a key
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. wind — moving air
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. current — electric
  11. bore — to drill
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. wind — moving air
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. bore — to tire
  19. chest — a box
  20. rule — government
  21. current — happening now
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. racket — for tennis

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