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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 120 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 felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  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. cue — a signal
  3. club — for dancing
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. spell — a short time
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. club — for golf
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. spell — letters
  12. chest — of your body
  13. spell — magic
  14. chest — a box
  15. plane — a tool
  16. cue — a hint
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. object — an aim
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. object — a thing
  21. object — to protest
  22. cue — for pool
  23. club — a group
  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