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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 hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  10. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. He was locked up in a ________________.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — of water
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. degree — temperature
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. plane — a tool
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. mark — a trace
  9. cell — in biology
  10. cell — a phone
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. mark — a grade
  13. prune — to trim
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. cell — in a prison
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. prune — to trim
  19. degree — from a university
  20. spring — the season
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. degree — an amount
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. spring — a coil

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