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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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: kid · chest · stand · current · lie · pitcher · can · wound

  1. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  2. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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. stand — to bear
  5. can — to be able to
  6. current — electric
  7. kid — child
  8. wound — an injury
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. current — happening now
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. lie — to recline
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  18. wound — an injury
  19. can — a tin
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. can — a tin
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. chest — a box
  24. kid — to tease

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