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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. There's no middle ________________.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  19. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. ground — a position
  3. bank — of a river
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. foot — a measure
  6. mark — a trace
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. jam — to spread on bread
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. jam — a tight spot
  13. mark — a grade
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. wind — moving air
  16. ground — the earth
  17. bank — for money
  18. wind — moving air
  19. jam — in traffic
  20. bank — for money
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. ground — crushed
  23. wind — to turn a key
  24. plane — a tool

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