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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. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. The water is too ________________.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  22. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. cold — not warm
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. cue — a hint
  6. fine — high quality
  7. race — a contest
  8. fine — all right
  9. season — of the year
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. race — humankind
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. deal — to handle
  14. season — in sport
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. cue — for pool
  19. cold — an illness
  20. plane — a tool
  21. cold — the Cold War
  22. race — the arms race
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. cue — a signal

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