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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. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  2. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. chest — a box
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. wind — moving air
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. wind — to turn a key
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. chest — of your body
  10. shower — rain
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. shower — to wash
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. mate — to breed
  16. lie — to recline
  17. mate — a partner
  18. plane — a tool
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. wind — moving air
  23. mate — a friend
  24. nail — on a finger

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