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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. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  12. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  17. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. ball — a dance
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. ground — the earth
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. bat — the animal
  7. tube — the underground
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. club — for dancing
  10. ground — crushed
  11. chest — of your body
  12. bat — for baseball
  13. ground — a position
  14. club — a group
  15. club — for golf
  16. chest — a box
  17. bat — in an idiom
  18. ball — a great time
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. tube — a container
  22. chest — of your body
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. plane — a tool

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