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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. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  14. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  15. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. key — for a lock
  4. plane — a tool
  5. band — a music group
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. current — happening now
  8. rock — music
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. current — electric
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. chest — of your body
  14. chest — a box
  15. chest — of your body
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. current — of water
  18. key — in music
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. band — a ring
  23. key — the most important part
  24. rock — a stone

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