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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 bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  2. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  21. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  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. jam — in traffic
  2. last — finally
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. chest — of your body
  5. present — there
  6. staff — a stick
  7. ground — a position
  8. pound — a weight
  9. present — a gift
  10. last — final
  11. staff — employees
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. ground — crushed
  14. plane — a tool
  15. ground — the earth
  16. last — to go on
  17. jam — to spread on bread
  18. present — the time now
  19. staff — employees
  20. chest — a box
  21. jam — a tight spot
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. pound — for dogs
  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