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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 players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  13. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. rest — what's left
  5. plane — a tool
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. wound — an injury
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. saw — the tool
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. wind — moving air
  13. wind — to turn a key
  14. saw — the tool
  15. wind — moving air
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. mine — for digging
  20. rest — what's left
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. rest — a break
  23. wound — an injury
  24. pitch — completely

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