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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. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. chest — of your body
  4. rule — government
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. chest — of your body
  10. saw — the tool
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. lie — to recline
  14. chest — a box
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. saw — the tool
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. rule — a law
  21. plane — a tool
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. plane — an aircraft

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