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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 120 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. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. lie — to recline
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. spring — of water
  11. pitch — completely
  12. bark — to shout
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. plane — a tool
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. spring — a coil
  20. spring — the season
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. bowl — to roll

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