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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 ________________ took off on time.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  4. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. rest — what's left
  3. chest — of your body
  4. shower — to wash
  5. pop — music
  6. chest — of your body
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. scale — in music
  9. firm — a company
  10. scale — size or range
  11. chip — for betting
  12. firm — decided
  13. shower — rain
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. chest — a box
  16. rest — what's left
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. firm — steady
  20. plane — a tool
  21. rest — a break
  22. pop — to visit
  23. pop — soda
  24. chip — to eat

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