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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. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. He was locked up in a ________________.
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. toast — the most admired
  4. hand — in cards
  5. hand — help
  6. mine — for digging
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. toast — bread
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. plane — a tool
  13. mug — a face
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. mug — to rob
  16. cell — a phone
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. toast — a drink to someone
  19. fork — in a road
  20. cell — in a prison
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. mug — a cup
  24. cell — in biology

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