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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. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. saw — the tool
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. saw — the tool
  7. foot — a measure
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. pitch — completely
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. ground — a position
  17. object — a thing
  18. object — to protest
  19. plane — a tool
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. ground — crushed
  22. object — an aim
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. ground — the earth

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