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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. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. He was locked up in a ________________.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  12. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. We're on a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — help
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. track — a song
  4. fall — to drop
  5. fall — the season
  6. bulb — for light
  7. cell — in a prison
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. cell — in biology
  12. cell — a phone
  13. bulb — for light
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. track — a path
  16. hand — in cards
  17. roll — a cake
  18. fall — to drop
  19. roll — a list
  20. track — to keep track
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. plane — a tool
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. roll — on a roll

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