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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. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. lie — to recline
  5. chest — of your body
  6. plane — a tool
  7. net — after costs
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. net — for catching
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. deal — to handle
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. shower — rain
  15. present — there
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. chest — a box
  19. present — a gift
  20. present — the time now
  21. shower — a meteor shower
  22. shower — to wash
  23. chest — of your body
  24. net — in sport

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