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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. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. He was locked up in a ________________.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. pitch — completely
  4. plane — a tool
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. lean — thin
  9. cell — in biology
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. cell — a phone
  12. net — for catching
  13. net — after costs
  14. ground — crushed
  15. snap — to click
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. cell — in a prison
  19. lean — to bend
  20. ground — the earth
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. ground — a position
  23. net — in sport
  24. plane — an aircraft

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