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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. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  12. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. rest — a break
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. court — of a king
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. chest — a box
  12. chest — of your body
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. tube — the underground
  15. tube — a container
  16. rest — what's left
  17. plane — a tool
  18. rest — what's left
  19. court — of law
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. court — for sport
  22. band — a music group
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. band — a ring

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