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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. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  14. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  19. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. clip — a video
  5. club — a group
  6. chest — a box
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. bear — the animal
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. club — for golf
  11. club — for dancing
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. clip — for paper
  14. clip — to cut
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. rule — a law
  18. chest — of your body
  19. chest — of your body
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. plane — a tool
  22. rule — government
  23. sharp — clever
  24. bear — the animal

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