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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 116 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. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. spell — magic
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. lie — to recline
  7. pop — music
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. spell — letters
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. pop — to visit
  12. snap — to click
  13. board — a committee
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. plane — a tool
  16. board — to get on
  17. spell — a short time
  18. pop — soda
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. mouse — the animal

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