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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. He is an ace ________________.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. can — a tin
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. cap — of ice
  7. plane — a tool
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. cap — a lid
  12. cap — a hat
  13. can — a tin
  14. wind — to turn a key
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. wake — a trail
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. wind — moving air
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. wind — moving air
  22. can — to be able to
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. pitcher — a jug

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