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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. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a dish
  2. plane — a tool
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. fork — in a road
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. net — in sport
  14. pass — a permit
  15. race — humankind
  16. net — for catching
  17. net — after costs
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. race — a contest
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. race — the arms race
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. plane — in geometry

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