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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. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. He's taking a ________________ right now.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. march — the month
  3. march — music
  4. bore — to drill
  5. plane — a tool
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. bore — to tire
  8. chip — to eat
  9. shower — rain
  10. march — the month
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. chip — for betting
  13. game — a match
  14. key — the most important part
  15. shower — a meteor shower
  16. key — in music
  17. lean — thin
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. game — wild animals
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. key — for a lock
  23. lean — to bend
  24. shower — to wash

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