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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. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  18. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. plane — a tool
  3. bear — the animal
  4. drill — the tool
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. current — of water
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. drill — a practice
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. current — happening now
  12. bound — tied together
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. bound — certain
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. drill — army training
  17. chest — of your body
  18. chest — a box
  19. pitch — completely
  20. bear — the animal
  21. current — electric
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. bound — obliged
  24. fan — a supporter

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