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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. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. The water is too ________________.
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  19. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. plane — a tool
  3. shower — rain
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. rest — a break
  7. cold — not warm
  8. field — a subject
  9. cue — for pool
  10. mate — to breed
  11. board — to get on
  12. cold — the Cold War
  13. field — farmland
  14. rest — what's left
  15. cue — a signal
  16. mate — a partner
  17. cue — a hint
  18. field — for sport
  19. cold — an illness
  20. shower — to wash
  21. shower — a meteor shower
  22. mate — a friend
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. board — a committee

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