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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. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. net — for catching
  3. season — of the year
  4. season — in sport
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. last — to go on
  7. land — ground
  8. chair — a professorship
  9. net — after costs
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. ball — a great time
  12. land — a country
  13. last — finally
  14. tear — from crying
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. chair — a leader
  17. tear — from crying
  18. land — to come down
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. plane — a tool
  21. ball — a dance
  22. tear — to rip
  23. last — final
  24. net — in sport

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