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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. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  21. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. fine — all right
  3. last — final
  4. lean — thin
  5. plane — a tool
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. mate — to breed
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. degree — from a university
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. lean — to bend
  13. last — finally
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. mate — a partner
  18. last — to go on
  19. wake — a trail
  20. degree — an amount
  21. degree — temperature
  22. mate — a friend
  23. fine — high quality
  24. wake — before a funeral

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