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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. David sat on the ________________.
  2. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  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. swing — to play on
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. mate — a friend
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. pound — a weight
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. mate — to breed
  8. spring — a coil
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. stand — to bear
  13. plane — a tool
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. mate — a partner
  16. swing — in golf
  17. swing — music
  18. staff — employees
  19. staff — a stick
  20. spring — of water
  21. pound — for dogs
  22. spring — the season
  23. staff — employees
  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