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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. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  7. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  8. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  11. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. He was locked up in a ________________.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. cell — in biology
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. spring — the season
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. capital — money
  7. cell — a phone
  8. wind — moving air
  9. plane — a tool
  10. wind — moving air
  11. capital — a city
  12. spring — a coil
  13. wind — to turn a key
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. spring — of water
  16. mark — a trace
  17. cell — in a prison
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. foot — a measure
  22. mark — a grade
  23. capital — a big letter
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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