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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. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. The water is too ________________.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. cold — the Cold War
  3. stock — shares
  4. bound — tied together
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. mate — to breed
  7. mate — a partner
  8. can — a tin
  9. plane — a tool
  10. can — a tin
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. cold — not warm
  13. bound — certain
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. stock — goods
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. wake — a trail
  20. can — to be able to
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. bound — obliged
  23. mate — a friend
  24. cold — an illness

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