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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's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. can — to be able to
  7. saw — the tool
  8. saw — the tool
  9. plane — a tool
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. lean — thin
  13. fine — all right
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. pit — in a race
  18. pit — a hole
  19. can — a tin
  20. can — a tin
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. lean — to bend
  23. fine — high quality
  24. mine — belonging to me

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