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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 carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. face — part of the head
  3. ground — the earth
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. hand — in cards
  9. bore — to drill
  10. pit — in a race
  11. face — to confront
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. ground — a position
  14. hand — help
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. face — to point toward
  17. pit — a hole
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. ground — crushed
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. bore — to tire
  24. arm — part of the body

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