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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: dip · board · cell · calf · chest · ball · plane · bass

  1. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  2. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  20. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  21. He was locked up in a ________________.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. cell — a phone
  3. bass — the fish
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. chest — of your body
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. plane — a tool
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. bass — low music
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. ball — a great time
  16. board — to get on
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. ball — a dance
  19. cell — in biology
  20. chest — a box
  21. cell — in a prison
  22. dip — to sink
  23. board — a committee
  24. calf — a young animal

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