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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. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. file — a tool
  4. chest — a box
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. chest — of your body
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. saw — the tool
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. wake — a trail
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. staff — a stick
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. saw — the tool
  16. staff — employees
  17. chest — of your body
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. file — a document
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. staff — employees
  22. file — a line of people
  23. plane — a tool
  24. racket — for tennis

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