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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: deal · plane · ball · foot · kick · chest · swing · last

  1. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. chest — of your body
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. ball — a dance
  6. swing — to play on
  7. deal — to handle
  8. last — finally
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. last — final
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. ball — a great time
  15. last — to go on
  16. swing — in golf
  17. chest — a box
  18. kick — in football
  19. foot — a measure
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. chest — of your body
  22. swing — music
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. foot — part of the body

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