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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: clip · plane · wave · fine · chest · foot · bay · pit

  1. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  5. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  6. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. chest — a box
  5. chest — of your body
  6. clip — a video
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. fine — all right
  10. chest — of your body
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. fine — high quality
  15. plane — a tool
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. clip — to cut
  19. pit — in a race
  20. foot — a measure
  21. clip — for paper
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. foot — part of the body
  24. plane — in geometry

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