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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. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. chest — a box
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. plane — a tool
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. chest — of your body
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. file — a tool
  10. root — of a plant
  11. file — a line of people
  12. chest — of your body
  13. root — the cause
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. ground — crushed
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. file — a document
  20. root — of a word
  21. mine — for digging
  22. ground — a position
  23. ground — the earth
  24. mouse — for a computer

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