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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. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. game — a match
  3. lean — to bend
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. bat — the animal
  9. season — of the year
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. bat — for baseball
  15. scale — in music
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. lean — thin
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. scale — size or range
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. game — wild animals
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. season — in sport

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