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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. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. plane — a tool
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. rest — a break
  5. rest — what's left
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. field — farmland
  8. season — in sport
  9. staff — employees
  10. field — for sport
  11. staff — employees
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. wake — a trail
  15. season — of the year
  16. rest — what's left
  17. pound — a weight
  18. field — a subject
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. staff — a stick
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. pound — for dogs
  24. ruler — for measuring

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