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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. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  2. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. Have you settled on a ________________?
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. squash — the sport
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. can — to be able to
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. squash — to crush
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. plane — a tool
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. date — the fruit
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. can — a tin
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. stand — to bear
  19. can — a tin
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. kick — in football
  24. stand — on your feet

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