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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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Word bank
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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: ground · plane · fine · rest · tube · chest · temple · kid

  1. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  4. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. fine — high quality
  3. kid — to tease
  4. chest — a box
  5. tube — the underground
  6. plane — a tool
  7. ground — crushed
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. rest — what's left
  10. ground — a position
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. kid — child
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. chest — of your body
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. chest — of your body
  21. fine — all right
  22. rest — a break
  23. rest — what's left
  24. ground — the earth

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