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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. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. land — to come down
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. spring — a coil
  7. scale — size or range
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. spring — the season
  12. bulb — for light
  13. kick — in football
  14. plane — a tool
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. bulb — for light
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. land — ground
  19. stand — to bear
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. saw — the tool
  22. saw — the tool
  23. land — a country
  24. spring — of water

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