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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 120 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.

Make a worksheet

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: fan · chest · leaves · foot · mine · arm · cue · plane

  1. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. chest — of your body
  3. foot — a measure
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. cue — a hint
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. chest — of your body
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. cue — a signal
  18. chest — a box
  19. mine — for digging
  20. plane — a tool
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. fan — a supporter

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