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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. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. chest — of your body
  5. scale — size or range
  6. last — to go on
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. last — finally
  9. plane — a tool
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. chest — a box
  15. scale — in music
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. last — final

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