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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. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. pitch — completely
  3. chest — of your body
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. chest — a box
  9. shower — rain
  10. clip — a video
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. clip — to cut
  15. bulb — for light
  16. shower — to wash
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. clip — for paper
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. plane — a tool
  22. fine — all right
  23. fine — high quality
  24. bulb — for light

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