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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 ________________ took off on time.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. row — a line
  4. season — of the year
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. ground — the earth
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. plane — a tool
  9. season — in sport
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. key — for a lock
  12. ground — a position
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. row — to paddle
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. ground — crushed
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. key — in music
  19. key — the most important part
  20. shower — rain
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. shower — to wash
  23. row — a quarrel
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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