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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. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. He was locked up in a ________________.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. mug — a face
  3. lean — thin
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. pound — a weight
  7. bore — to drill
  8. dip — to sink
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. mug — a cup
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. lean — to bend
  16. mug — to rob
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. cell — in biology
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. cell — in a prison
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. cell — a phone
  23. bore — to tire
  24. plane — a tool

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