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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. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. tear — to rip
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. key — in music
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. chest — a box
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. chest — of your body
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. bore — to tire
  15. tear — from crying
  16. plane — a tool
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. bore — to drill
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. key — for a lock
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. tear — from crying
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. key — the most important part

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