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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 partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. chest — a box
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. present — a gift
  5. present — the time now
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. stand — to bear
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. chest — of your body
  11. plane — a tool
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. swing — in golf
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. can — a tin
  18. fork — in a road
  19. can — to be able to
  20. can — a tin
  21. swing — to play on
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. chest — of your body
  24. swing — music

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