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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. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  8. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. rest — what's left
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. chest — of your body
  8. jam — to spread on bread
  9. plane — a tool
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. jam — a tight spot
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. chest — of your body
  14. land — to come down
  15. land — a country
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. rest — what's left
  18. jam — in traffic
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. land — ground
  23. chest — a box
  24. calf — a young animal

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