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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. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — a box
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. hand — help
  4. foot — a measure
  5. charge — in control
  6. charge — a price
  7. plane — a tool
  8. charge — electricity
  9. hand — in cards
  10. present — a gift
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. saw — the tool
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. chest — of your body
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. present — the time now
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. perch — the fish
  22. chest — of your body
  23. present — there
  24. saw — the tool

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