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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. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. file — a document
  3. bound — tied together
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. spring — of water
  7. spring — a coil
  8. bound — obliged
  9. cue — for pool
  10. deal — to handle
  11. file — a line of people
  12. plane — a tool
  13. lie — to recline
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. bound — certain
  16. spring — the season
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. cue — a hint
  20. cue — a signal
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. file — a tool
  24. deal — an agreement

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