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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 116 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. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  10. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. season — in sport
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. bear — the animal
  5. spell — a short time
  6. sharp — clever
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. tear — from crying
  10. tear — to rip
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. spell — magic
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. plane — a tool
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. bear — the animal
  18. tube — a container
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. season — of the year
  21. tear — from crying
  22. spell — letters
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. tube — the underground

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