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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 120 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. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. chest — a box
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. firm — decided
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. lean — to bend
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. cell — in biology
  11. track — a path
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. firm — steady
  14. track — to keep track
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. track — a song
  18. lean — thin
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. cell — a phone
  21. firm — a company
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. plane — a tool
  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