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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 120 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. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. He was locked up in a ________________.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. mate — a friend
  3. cell — in biology
  4. plane — a tool
  5. spring — a coil
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. cell — a phone
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. cell — in a prison
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. spring — of water
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. spring — the season
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. season — in sport
  19. season — of the year
  20. mate — a partner
  21. mate — to breed
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. dip — to sink
  24. plane — in geometry

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