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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. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. tear — to rip
  3. pit — a hole
  4. tear — from crying
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. bore — to tire
  10. chip — for betting
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. march — music
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. march — the month
  15. bore — to drill
  16. march — the month
  17. tear — from crying
  18. chip — to eat
  19. mine — for digging
  20. plane — a tool
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. perch — the fish
  23. pit — in a race
  24. bore — gave birth

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