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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 120 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. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. The water is too ________________.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  21. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. bear — the animal
  3. cold — an illness
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. cold — not warm
  6. mate — a partner
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. spell — letters
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. mate — a friend
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. file — a document
  13. spell — magic
  14. file — a tool
  15. bear — the animal
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. plane — a tool
  18. spell — a short time
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. cold — the Cold War
  21. arm — a part of something
  22. file — a line of people
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. mate — to breed

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