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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. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. field — a subject
  5. bat — for baseball
  6. spring — the season
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. bat — in an idiom
  9. field — farmland
  10. plane — a tool
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. bat — the animal
  13. perch — the fish
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. spring — of water
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. lie — to recline
  20. spring — a coil
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. field — for sport
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. rush — hurry

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