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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. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  2. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  15. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  19. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  20. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  21. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  22. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. march — the month
  3. mate — to breed
  4. race — the arms race
  5. plane — a tool
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. mate — a partner
  9. march — the month
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. mate — a friend
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. toast — the most admired
  15. chest — of your body
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. chest — a box
  19. toast — a drink to someone
  20. toast — bread
  21. race — humankind
  22. march — music
  23. race — a contest
  24. plane — in geometry

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