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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. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  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. board — a flat piece
  3. tear — from crying
  4. spring — of water
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. spring — a coil
  7. cue — for pool
  8. plane — a tool
  9. board — to get on
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. bound — tied together
  12. spring — the season
  13. bound — certain
  14. tear — from crying
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. bound — obliged
  17. board — a committee
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. cue — a hint
  20. tear — to rip
  21. stand — to bear
  22. cue — a signal
  23. stand — for spectators
  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