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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. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. plane — a tool
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. ball — a great time
  5. chest — a box
  6. land — ground
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. mug — a cup
  9. firm — a company
  10. land — to come down
  11. firm — decided
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. mug — to rob
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. season — in sport
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. chest — of your body
  18. ball — a dance
  19. pass — a permit
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. land — a country
  22. season — of the year
  23. mug — a face
  24. firm — steady

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