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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. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. wound — an injury
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. season — in sport
  7. current — happening now
  8. mate — a friend
  9. season — of the year
  10. degree — an amount
  11. fall — to drop
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. mate — to breed
  14. current — of water
  15. hand — in cards
  16. mate — a partner
  17. hand — help
  18. current — electric
  19. degree — from a university
  20. wound — an injury
  21. fall — the season
  22. fall — to drop
  23. degree — temperature
  24. plane — a tool

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