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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. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. rule — a law
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. plane — a tool
  10. chest — of your body
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. rule — government
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. chest — a box

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