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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. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  6. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. We're on a ________________ here.
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. Have you settled on a ________________?
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — of water
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. land — to come down
  5. roll — a list
  6. roll — a cake
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. spring — a coil
  9. date — the fruit
  10. land — ground
  11. jam — in traffic
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. roll — on a roll
  15. land — a country
  16. plane — a tool
  17. jam — a tight spot
  18. mine — for digging
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. spring — the season
  23. jam — to spread on bread
  24. ruler — a monarch

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