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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. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. march — the month
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. spring — the season
  6. bass — the fish
  7. spring — a coil
  8. bass — low music
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. spring — of water
  11. plane — a tool
  12. mug — a face
  13. march — music
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. board — a committee
  16. mug — a cup
  17. foot — a measure
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. march — the month
  23. board — to get on
  24. mug — to rob

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