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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 120 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. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. file — a tool
  3. rest — a break
  4. rush — hurry
  5. march — the month
  6. track — to keep track
  7. rest — what's left
  8. file — a line of people
  9. rest — what's left
  10. file — a document
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. plane — a tool
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. bore — to drill
  18. track — a song
  19. bore — to tire
  20. march — the month
  21. track — a path
  22. march — music
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. leaves — lets stay

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