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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 carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  20. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. rest — what's left
  3. chest — of your body
  4. kick — in football
  5. rest — what's left
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. chair — a professorship
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. vault — a safe
  12. chair — a leader
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. bark — to shout
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. perch — the fish
  19. chest — a box
  20. chest — of your body
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. chair — to sit on
  24. rest — a break

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