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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 carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. mate — a friend
  4. cap — a lid
  5. mate — a partner
  6. cue — for pool
  7. last — final
  8. cue — a signal
  9. last — finally
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. cue — a hint
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. mine — for digging
  14. rest — a break
  15. bore — to drill
  16. rest — what's left
  17. bore — to tire
  18. last — to go on
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. mate — to breed
  21. rest — what's left
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. cap — of ice
  24. cap — a hat

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