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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. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  21. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  22. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  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 — of your body
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. chest — a box
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. cap — a lid
  7. cap — a hat
  8. cap — of ice
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. rock — music
  11. rock — a stone
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. plane — a tool
  16. snap — to click
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. wax — to grow
  20. race — the arms race
  21. race — humankind
  22. race — a contest
  23. wax — for sculpting
  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