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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. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. deal — to handle
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. pit — a hole
  7. chip — to eat
  8. net — in sport
  9. tear — from crying
  10. chip — for betting
  11. rash — a series
  12. chest — of your body
  13. net — after costs
  14. net — for catching
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. chest — a box
  17. rash — hasty
  18. tear — to rip
  19. plane — a tool
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. pit — in a race
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. tear — from crying
  24. rash — on the skin

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