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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. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  2. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — a box
  2. staff — employees
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. staff — employees
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. saw — the tool
  12. staff — a stick
  13. plane — a tool
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. pit — a hole
  16. pit — in a race
  17. race — the arms race
  18. race — humankind
  19. chest — of your body
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. race — a contest
  23. saw — the 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