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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. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  5. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  10. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. fall — the season
  4. chest — of your body
  5. toast — bread
  6. present — there
  7. current — happening now
  8. current — of water
  9. toast — a drink to someone
  10. toast — the most admired
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. current — electric
  13. present — the time now
  14. present — a gift
  15. chest — a box
  16. fall — to drop
  17. bore — to tire
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. bore — to drill
  21. plane — a tool
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. chest — of your body
  24. bore — gave birth

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