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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. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. lean — thin
  5. plane — a tool
  6. ground — the earth
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. ground — a position
  9. season — of the year
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. court — of law
  15. season — in sport
  16. wake — a trail
  17. ground — crushed
  18. court — of a king
  19. rush — hurry
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. lean — to bend
  23. court — for sport
  24. lean — to rest against

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