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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. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. rock — a stone
  4. game — a match
  5. pass — a permit
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. plane — a tool
  8. game — wild animals
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. dip — to sink
  11. rock — music
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. can — a tin
  19. wake — a trail
  20. perch — the fish
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. can — to be able to
  24. can — a tin

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