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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. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  24. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. degree — temperature
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. degree — from a university
  13. wake — a trail
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. plane — a tool
  16. degree — an amount
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. clip — to cut
  20. fine — all right
  21. fine — high quality
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. clip — for paper
  24. clip — a video

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