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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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468
Word bank
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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. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  6. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  17. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  24. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. chest — a box
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. chest — of your body
  6. capital — a big letter
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. plane — a tool
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. capital — a city
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. foot — a measure
  16. chest — of your body
  17. capital — money
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. wind — to turn a key
  24. wind — moving air

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