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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. The ________________ took off on time.
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  13. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. mate — to breed
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. bear — the animal
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. club — a group
  7. bear — the animal
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. mate — a friend
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. mate — a partner
  12. chest — of your body
  13. kid — child
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. club — for dancing
  17. chest — of your body
  18. board — to get on
  19. kid — to tease
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. chest — a box
  22. club — for golf
  23. board — a committee
  24. plane — a tool

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