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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. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  4. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  17. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. mug — a face
  3. bat — the animal
  4. clip — for paper
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. ball — a dance
  9. rush — hurry
  10. bat — for baseball
  11. stem — to come from
  12. ball — a great time
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. mug — a cup
  16. clip — a video
  17. clip — to cut
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. plane — a tool
  23. mug — to rob
  24. coach — a trainer

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