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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. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  8. He was locked up in a ________________.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  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. saw — the tool
  2. mate — a friend
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. cell — in biology
  5. can — to be able to
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. bat — for baseball
  8. cell — in a prison
  9. saw — the tool
  10. can — a tin
  11. cell — a phone
  12. can — a tin
  13. pit — a hole
  14. mate — a partner
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. bat — the animal
  18. season — in sport
  19. bat — in an idiom
  20. mate — to breed
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. season — of the year
  23. pit — in a race
  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