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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 116 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 works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. firm — a company
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. mug — to rob
  5. fall — the season
  6. firm — steady
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. cap — of ice
  9. firm — decided
  10. fall — to drop
  11. mug — a cup
  12. cap — a lid
  13. charge — in control
  14. craft — boats
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. plane — a tool
  17. cap — a hat
  18. mug — a face
  19. charge — a price
  20. charge — electricity
  21. craft — a skill
  22. fall — to drop
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. craft — a handicraft

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