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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: content · plane · stock · chest · pound · chair · arm · lie

  1. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. content — happy
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. content — the amount
  8. stock — shares
  9. stock — goods
  10. pound — a weight
  11. lie — to recline
  12. chair — a leader
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. chest — of your body
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. chest — of your body
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. chest — a box
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. content — videos and posts
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. lie — an untruth

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