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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. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — a box
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. chest — of your body
  5. face — to point toward
  6. plane — a tool
  7. craft — boats
  8. face — to confront
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. mate — a friend
  11. tube — a container
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. mate — to breed
  14. tube — the underground
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. mate — a partner
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. face — part of the head
  19. craft — a skill
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. pound — a weight
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. fork — in a road
  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