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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. The ________________ took off on time.
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. mate — to breed
  3. shower — to wash
  4. mate — a friend
  5. ball — a dance
  6. ball — a great time
  7. mate — a partner
  8. shower — rain
  9. chair — a leader
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. season — in sport
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. shower — a meteor shower
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. plane — a tool
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. chair — to sit on
  24. season — of the year

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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