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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 carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. firm — steady
  3. pit — a hole
  4. wind — moving air
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. firm — a company
  7. wind — to turn a key
  8. chair — a leader
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. cap — of ice
  11. pit — in a race
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. spring — the season
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. cap — a lid
  16. cap — a hat
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. wind — moving air
  19. spring — a coil
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. firm — decided
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. spring — of water

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