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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. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. bat — for baseball
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. row — to paddle
  7. plane — a tool
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. spring — a coil
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. spring — the season
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. lie — to recline
  17. pound — a weight
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. bat — the animal
  20. row — a line
  21. rule — government
  22. rule — a law
  23. spring — of water
  24. plane — in geometry

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