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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. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. plane — a tool
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. tube — a container
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. ground — a position
  9. lie — to recline
  10. bound — tied together
  11. club — for dancing
  12. bound — obliged
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. stand — to bear
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. bound — certain
  19. club — for golf
  20. ground — the earth
  21. tube — the underground
  22. club — a group
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. plane — an aircraft

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