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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: swing · plane · jam · bat · suit · chest · present · lie

  1. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  3. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  9. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  10. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  11. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  12. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. bat — for baseball
  3. bat — the animal
  4. lie — to recline
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. jam — a tight spot
  7. present — the time now
  8. jam — in traffic
  9. chest — of your body
  10. bat — in an idiom
  11. jam — to spread on bread
  12. chest — of your body
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. plane — a tool
  15. present — there
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. present — a gift
  18. chest — a box
  19. swing — to play on
  20. suit — in cards
  21. swing — music
  22. swing — in golf
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. suit — clothes

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