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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: calf · dip · hide · net · plane · swing · file · chest

  1. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  24. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. net — in sport
  4. swing — to play on
  5. dip — to sink
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. file — a line of people
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. net — after costs
  12. swing — music
  13. net — for catching
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. chest — of your body
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. swing — in golf
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. file — a document
  22. plane — a tool
  23. chest — a box
  24. file — a tool

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