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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. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. shower — rain
  3. track — a song
  4. track — a path
  5. shower — to wash
  6. degree — temperature
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. saw — the tool
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. cue — for pool
  11. plane — a tool
  12. degree — from a university
  13. cue — a hint
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. rash — hasty
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. saw — the tool
  19. track — to keep track
  20. degree — an amount
  21. cue — a signal
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. deal — to handle
  24. rash — a series

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