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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. The ________________ took off on time.
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  16. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. game — a match
  3. clip — to cut
  4. lean — thin
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. toast — the most admired
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. firm — a company
  12. plane — a tool
  13. game — wild animals
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. toast — bread
  16. clip — for paper
  17. firm — decided
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. clip — a video
  21. lean — to bend
  22. toast — a drink to someone
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. firm — steady

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