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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 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. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. pop — to visit
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. object — a thing
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. race — the arms race
  9. pop — soda
  10. pop — music
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. chest — of your body
  13. race — humankind
  14. object — an aim
  15. plane — a tool
  16. race — a contest
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. object — to protest
  22. perch — the fish
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. chest — a box

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