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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. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. chest — of your body
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. chest — a box
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. band — a ring
  10. plane — a tool
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. chest — of your body
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. leaves — lets stay

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