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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: jam · kid · chest · saw · pass · wave · plane · ball

  1. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  9. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  13. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  20. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. pass — a permit
  4. saw — the tool
  5. ball — a great time
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. jam — a tight spot
  9. kid — child
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. chest — of your body
  13. jam — to spread on bread
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. saw — the tool
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. kid — to tease
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  20. jam — in traffic
  21. ball — a dance
  22. chest — a box
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. plane — 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