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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. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. mark — a trace
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. rash — hasty
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. field — a subject
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. rash — a series
  11. field — farmland
  12. spring — the season
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. mark — a grade
  15. spring — of water
  16. field — for sport
  17. plane — a tool
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. spring — a coil
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. foot — a measure
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. band — a music group
  24. band — a ring

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