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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. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. tear — to rip
  3. track — a song
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. track — to keep track
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. tear — from crying
  9. rock — music
  10. chest — of your body
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. kick — in football
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. track — a path
  16. chest — a box
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. tear — from crying
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. plane — a tool
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. rock — a stone

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