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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 has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. degree — from a university
  6. spell — letters
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. plane — a tool
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. tube — the underground
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. foot — a measure
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. degree — an amount
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. spell — a short time
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. spell — magic
  23. degree — temperature
  24. tube — a container

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