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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. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. bore — to tire
  3. saw — the tool
  4. chest — of your body
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. net — after costs
  8. net — in sport
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. net — for catching
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. stock — goods
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. chest — a box
  16. plane — a tool
  17. pitch — completely
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. bore — to drill
  22. saw — the tool
  23. chest — of your body
  24. stock — shares

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