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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. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  21. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. mine — for digging
  3. tear — from crying
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. mug — a face
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. snap — to click
  9. bulb — for light
  10. bulb — for light
  11. wound — an injury
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. mug — a cup
  16. mug — to rob
  17. plane — a tool
  18. wound — an injury
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. tear — to rip
  21. tear — from crying
  22. lie — to recline
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. lie — an untruth

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