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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 pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. mate — a friend
  3. stand — to bear
  4. file — a line of people
  5. plane — a tool
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. file — a document
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. mate — to breed
  12. lie — to recline
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. file — a tool
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. game — a match
  19. deal — to handle
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. craft — boats
  22. mate — a partner
  23. craft — a skill
  24. lie — an untruth

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