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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 120 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. He was locked up in a ________________.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. cell — in a prison
  3. bore — to drill
  4. scale — size or range
  5. spring — the season
  6. bore — to tire
  7. spring — a coil
  8. spring — of water
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. scale — in music
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. row — to paddle
  13. row — a line
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. plane — a tool
  16. cell — a phone
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. cell — in biology

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