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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. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  13. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. We're on a ________________ here.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  24. Tom got himself in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. ground — a position
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. roll — a list
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. tear — to rip
  11. ground — crushed
  12. tear — from crying
  13. roll — a cake
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. roll — on a roll
  16. dip — to sink
  17. ground — the earth
  18. foot — a measure
  19. tear — from crying
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. jam — in traffic
  22. plane — a tool
  23. jam — to spread on bread
  24. jam — a tight spot

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