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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. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  13. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  19. We're on a ________________ here.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — a box
  2. chest — of your body
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. clip — a video
  5. plane — a tool
  6. craft — a skill
  7. pit — in a race
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. pound — a weight
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. clip — for paper
  13. roll — a list
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. roll — a cake
  16. pit — a hole
  17. saw — the tool
  18. clip — to cut
  19. roll — on a roll
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. craft — boats
  22. saw — the tool
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. chest — of your body

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