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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 116 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. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. court — for sport
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. court — of a king
  7. rest — a break
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. court — of law
  11. field — farmland
  12. lie — to recline
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. field — for sport
  20. rest — what's left
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. plane — a tool
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. field — a subject

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