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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. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. net — after costs
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. rest — what's left
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. net — in sport
  7. net — for catching
  8. cap — a hat
  9. cap — a lid
  10. plane — a tool
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. rest — a break
  13. scale — in music
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. scale — size or range
  17. lean — thin
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. lean — to bend
  23. rest — what's left
  24. plane — in geometry

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