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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. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. stock — goods
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. deal — to handle
  5. plane — a tool
  6. mug — a cup
  7. present — there
  8. clip — a video
  9. mug — to rob
  10. cue — a signal
  11. mug — a face
  12. cue — a hint
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. present — a gift
  18. clip — for paper
  19. present — the time now
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. clip — to cut
  23. cue — for pool
  24. stock — shares

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