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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. The ________________ took off on time.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. rest — what's left
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. band — a ring
  6. band — a music group
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. rest — what's left
  9. spell — a short time
  10. field — farmland
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. plane — a tool
  13. shower — to wash
  14. spell — magic
  15. field — for sport
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. field — a subject
  20. spell — letters
  21. shower — rain
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. rest — a break
  24. shower — a meteor shower

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