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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. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. rest — what's left
  4. chest — of your body
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. scale — size or range
  7. rest — a break
  8. chest — of your body
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. rest — what's left
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. mate — a partner
  16. scale — in music
  17. plane — a tool
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. mate — to breed
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. chest — a box
  23. craft — a skill
  24. mate — a friend

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