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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. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  2. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — a box
  2. chest — of your body
  3. object — an aim
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. tube — a container
  6. spell — magic
  7. plane — a tool
  8. object — a thing
  9. club — for golf
  10. squash — to crush
  11. club — a group
  12. tube — the underground
  13. object — to protest
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. spell — a short time
  16. spell — letters
  17. chest — of your body
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. bark — to shout
  20. squash — the sport
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. club — for dancing
  24. bark — a dog's sound

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