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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. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. plane — a tool
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. saw — the tool
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. stand — to bear
  12. can — a tin
  13. spring — the season
  14. lie — to recline
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. saw — the tool
  18. spring — a coil
  19. spring — of water
  20. mine — for digging
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. can — to be able to
  23. can — a tin
  24. stand — on your feet

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