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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. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. We're on a ________________ here.
  12. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. clip — to cut
  3. board — to get on
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. clip — for paper
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. wind — to turn a key
  8. lean — to bend
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. board — a committee
  11. roll — on a roll
  12. wind — moving air
  13. plane — a tool
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. wind — moving air
  16. roll — a list
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. roll — a cake
  19. rock — a stone
  20. lean — thin
  21. clip — a video
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. fork — in a road
  24. rock — music

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