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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. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  2. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. spring — of water
  3. plane — a tool
  4. lie — to recline
  5. current — happening now
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. pop — to visit
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. pop — music
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. spring — the season
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. spring — a coil
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. current — electric
  21. pop — soda
  22. current — of water
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. bowl — a dish

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