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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 kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  4. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. club — a group
  3. chest — of your body
  4. chest — of your body
  5. plane — a tool
  6. club — for dancing
  7. season — in sport
  8. track — to keep track
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. track — a song
  11. season — of the year
  12. ball — a great time
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. club — for golf
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. rush — hurry
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. rest — a break
  19. track — a path
  20. ball — a dance
  21. rest — what's left
  22. chest — a box
  23. rest — what's left
  24. plane — in geometry

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