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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. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. pop — soda
  4. season — of the year
  5. object — a thing
  6. ground — crushed
  7. degree — from a university
  8. ground — a position
  9. rest — what's left
  10. wind — moving air
  11. degree — temperature
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. object — an aim
  14. wind — moving air
  15. wind — to turn a key
  16. season — in sport
  17. degree — an amount
  18. pop — to visit
  19. object — to protest
  20. plane — a tool
  21. pop — music
  22. ground — the earth
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. rest — what's left

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