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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: foot · race · board · toast · chest · kick · rest · plane

  1. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  11. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  24. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. toast — bread
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. chest — of your body
  7. race — a contest
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. rest — a break
  10. chest — of your body
  11. chest — a box
  12. board — a committee
  13. race — humankind
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. kick — in football
  16. rest — what's left
  17. toast — the most admired
  18. rest — what's left
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. board — to get on
  22. plane — a tool
  23. toast — a drink to someone
  24. race — the arms race

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