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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. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. We're on a ________________ here.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. season — in sport
  3. roll — a list
  4. shower — rain
  5. cap — of ice
  6. plane — a tool
  7. shower — to wash
  8. cap — a lid
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. roll — on a roll
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. pit — in a race
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. cap — a hat
  19. roll — a cake
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. shower — a meteor shower
  22. pit — a hole
  23. season — of the year
  24. plane — an aircraft

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