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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. The ________________ took off on time.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. saw — the tool
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. mug — to rob
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. pop — music
  8. land — a country
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. land — to come down
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. pop — soda
  13. land — ground
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. mine — for digging
  17. pop — to visit
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. mug — a face
  20. saw — the tool
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. plane — a tool
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. mug — a cup

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