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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. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  2. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. can — to be able to
  4. bulb — for light
  5. can — a tin
  6. mate — a friend
  7. bulb — for light
  8. pound — a weight
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. mate — a partner
  11. pound — to hit hard
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. chest — a box
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. chest — of your body
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. mate — to breed
  22. can — a tin
  23. plane — a tool
  24. bulb — of a plant

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