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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. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  4. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. plane — a tool
  3. tear — from crying
  4. tear — to rip
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. face — part of the head
  7. game — a match
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. face — to confront
  10. face — to point toward
  11. chest — of your body
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. rest — a break
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. chest — a box
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. tear — from crying
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. bear — the animal
  20. bear — the animal
  21. rest — what's left
  22. game — wild animals
  23. rest — what's left
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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