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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. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. We're on a ________________ here.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. roll — on a roll
  4. plane — a tool
  5. roll — a list
  6. court — for sport
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. court — of law
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. bore — to tire
  11. spell — letters
  12. lie — to recline
  13. roll — a cake
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. spell — magic
  17. bore — to drill
  18. field — farmland
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. spell — a short time
  21. court — of a king
  22. field — a subject
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. field — for sport

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