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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. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  12. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  22. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. mine — for digging
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. wind — moving air
  6. board — to get on
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. pitch — completely
  10. fall — the season
  11. tear — to rip
  12. wind — moving air
  13. fall — to drop
  14. board — a committee
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. bore — to drill
  17. fall — to drop
  18. bore — to tire
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. tear — from crying
  22. tear — from crying
  23. plane — a tool
  24. wind — to turn a key

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