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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. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. chest — a box
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. cue — a hint
  5. saw — the tool
  6. foot — a measure
  7. chest — of your body
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. chest — of your body
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. cue — for pool
  13. deal — to handle
  14. plane — a tool
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. cue — a signal
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. saw — the tool
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. fan — to cool the air

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