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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: chest · plane · rush · roll · mug · bay · spring · fine

  1. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. We're on a ________________ here.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. mug — to rob
  3. roll — a list
  4. spring — of water
  5. chest — of your body
  6. plane — a tool
  7. roll — on a roll
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. chest — of your body
  10. fine — all right
  11. roll — a cake
  12. mug — a face
  13. spring — a coil
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. chest — a box
  20. fine — high quality
  21. spring — the season
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. mug — a cup

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