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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 all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  11. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — a box
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. bass — the fish
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. staff — employees
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. plane — a tool
  9. spell — magic
  10. chest — of your body
  11. chest — of your body
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. spell — a short time
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. saw — the tool
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. spell — letters
  19. staff — a stick
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. saw — the tool
  22. bass — low music
  23. staff — employees
  24. stand — to bear

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