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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. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  3. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. clip — to cut
  3. clip — a video
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. track — a path
  6. mate — to breed
  7. cue — a signal
  8. mate — a partner
  9. cue — for pool
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. wound — an injury
  12. track — to keep track
  13. degree — temperature
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. clip — for paper
  17. mate — a friend
  18. degree — an amount
  19. track — a song
  20. wound — an injury
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. degree — from a university
  23. plane — a tool
  24. cue — a hint

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