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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 train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. can — a tin
  3. row — a line
  4. can — a tin
  5. plane — a tool
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. spring — a coil
  9. row — to paddle
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. can — to be able to
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. rash — a series
  15. spring — of water
  16. rash — hasty
  17. ground — a position
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. spring — the season
  20. ground — crushed
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. ground — the earth
  24. leaves — of a tree

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