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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. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. mate — to breed
  3. mate — a partner
  4. foot — a measure
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. plane — a tool
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. clip — to cut
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. rock — music
  11. clip — a video
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. rock — a stone
  15. bore — to tire
  16. ball — a great time
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. ball — a dance
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. clip — for paper
  21. bore — to drill
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. mate — a friend

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