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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. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  24. Have you settled on a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. chest — a box
  2. date — the fruit
  3. mark — a trace
  4. rest — what's left
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. row — a line
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. row — to paddle
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. mark — a grade
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. rest — what's left
  19. plane — a tool
  20. rest — a break
  21. chest — of your body
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. chest — of your body
  24. date — on the calendar

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