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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. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. fall — to drop
  3. club — for golf
  4. chest — a box
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. fall — the season
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. chest — of your body
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. plane — a tool
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. pitch — completely
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. chest — of your body
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. fall — to drop
  21. club — for dancing
  22. club — a group
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. rock — 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