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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. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  14. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. fine — high quality
  5. plane — a tool
  6. can — to be able to
  7. field — for sport
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. clip — for paper
  10. field — farmland
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. fine — all right
  13. clip — a video
  14. clip — to cut
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. can — a tin
  18. field — a subject
  19. can — a tin
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. kick — in football

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