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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. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — a box
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. chest — of your body
  4. plane — a tool
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. pit — a hole
  7. chest — of your body
  8. snap — to click
  9. pit — in a race
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. key — for a lock
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. key — the most important part
  15. spring — a coil
  16. spring — of water
  17. rash — a series
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. spring — the season
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. key — in music
  23. rash — hasty
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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