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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. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. He was locked up in a ________________.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. cell — in a prison
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. plane — a tool
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. mate — to breed
  8. mate — a partner
  9. cell — in biology
  10. firm — steady
  11. firm — decided
  12. chest — of your body
  13. mate — a friend
  14. chest — of your body
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. cell — a phone
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. prune — to trim
  19. prune — to trim
  20. firm — a company
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. chest — a box
  23. bear — the animal
  24. plane — an aircraft

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