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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 116 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. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. can — to be able to
  4. ground — crushed
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. mine — for digging
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. plane — a tool
  9. firm — a company
  10. shower — to wash
  11. spring — a coil
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. pitch — completely
  14. spring — of water
  15. ground — the earth
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. can — a tin
  19. spring — the season
  20. ground — a position
  21. shower — rain
  22. firm — decided
  23. can — a tin
  24. firm — steady

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