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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. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. He was locked up in a ________________.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  24. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. cell — a phone
  3. cap — a lid
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. deal — to handle
  7. plane — a tool
  8. field — farmland
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. cap — of ice
  13. cell — in biology
  14. field — for sport
  15. cell — in a prison
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. field — a subject
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. cap — a hat
  22. lie — to recline
  23. wind — moving air
  24. wind — to turn a key

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