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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. plane — a tool
  4. chest — of your body
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. drill — army training
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. wound — an injury
  11. drill — a practice
  12. drill — the tool
  13. chest — of your body
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. wound — an injury
  18. chest — a box

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