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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. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  2. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. Have you settled on a ________________?
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  17. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. rock — music
  10. bound — obliged
  11. plane — a tool
  12. bound — tied together
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. bound — certain
  16. date — the fruit
  17. bat — the animal
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. hand — help
  20. rock — a stone
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. hand — in cards
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. cabinet — ministers

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