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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. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. Have you settled on a ________________?
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. fall — to drop
  4. fall — the season
  5. bat — for baseball
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. bore — to tire
  8. bat — in an idiom
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. plane — a tool
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. mark — a grade
  14. land — ground
  15. land — to come down
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. bore — to drill
  19. land — a country
  20. bat — the animal
  21. mark — a trace
  22. date — the fruit
  23. fall — to drop
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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