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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: stick · pass · chest · plane · net · pound

  1. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. net — in sport
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. chest — a box
  6. net — for catching
  7. chest — of your body
  8. net — after costs
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. plane — a tool
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. pound — a weight
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. pass — a permit
  18. pound — to hit hard

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