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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 120 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. He was locked up in a ________________.
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  12. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  19. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in a prison
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. cell — in biology
  4. saw — the tool
  5. mate — to breed
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. bat — for baseball
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. mate — a friend
  11. cell — a phone
  12. bat — in an idiom
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. mate — a partner
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. plane — a tool
  17. saw — the tool
  18. bat — the animal
  19. pound — a weight
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. dip — to sink

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