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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 116 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. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. ground — the earth
  3. field — for sport
  4. bound — tied together
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. object — an aim
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. wax — to grow
  9. bound — obliged
  10. plane — a tool
  11. object — to protest
  12. bound — certain
  13. firm — a company
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. object — a thing
  16. field — farmland
  17. ground — crushed
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. ground — a position
  20. field — a subject
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. firm — steady
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. firm — decided

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