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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. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  7. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. plane — a tool
  3. mug — to rob
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. spring — of water
  6. bat — the animal
  7. bat — in an idiom
  8. spring — the season
  9. mug — a face
  10. bat — for baseball
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. mug — a cup
  15. spring — a coil
  16. object — an aim
  17. file — a line of people
  18. object — a thing
  19. file — a tool
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. object — to protest
  22. file — a document
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. hide — to keep secret

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