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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. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  7. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. degree — from a university
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. clip — to cut
  7. degree — an amount
  8. cue — for pool
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. bulb — for light
  11. ball — a great time
  12. track — a path
  13. track — to keep track
  14. cue — a hint
  15. clip — a video
  16. bulb — for light
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. clip — for paper
  19. cue — a signal
  20. track — a song
  21. ball — a dance
  22. plane — a tool
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. degree — temperature

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