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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. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  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. trunk — of a car
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. lean — to bend
  4. plane — a tool
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. chest — of your body
  7. ball — a dance
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. ball — a great time
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. chest — a box
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. lean — thin
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. dip — to sink
  20. rush — hurry
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. dip — to dunk
  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