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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. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. plane — a tool
  4. shower — to wash
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. chest — a box
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. rock — a stone
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. degree — an amount
  14. shower — rain
  15. degree — temperature
  16. track — to keep track
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. degree — from a university
  19. rock — music
  20. track — a path
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. track — a song
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. chest — of your body

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