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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 120 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. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. season — of the year
  5. can — to be able to
  6. band — a ring
  7. degree — an amount
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. season — in sport
  11. can — a tin
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. degree — temperature
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. plane — a tool
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. band — a music group
  22. degree — from a university
  23. perch — the fish
  24. can — a tin

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