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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. The ________________ took off on time.
  2. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  14. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. Have you settled on a ________________?
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  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 — an aircraft
  2. spell — letters
  3. can — a tin
  4. season — in sport
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. chest — of your body
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. can — to be able to
  10. spell — a short time
  11. can — a tin
  12. season — of the year
  13. chest — of your body
  14. chest — a box
  15. lie — to recline
  16. date — the fruit
  17. spell — magic
  18. mine — for digging
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. season — to add flavour
  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