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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. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  13. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. mug — a cup
  3. cap — of ice
  4. drill — army training
  5. mate — a friend
  6. mug — to rob
  7. tear — to rip
  8. drill — a practice
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. mark — a trace
  11. mate — a partner
  12. tear — from crying
  13. capital — a big letter
  14. cap — a hat
  15. mug — a face
  16. tear — from crying
  17. mark — a grade
  18. mate — to breed
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. capital — a city
  21. cap — a lid
  22. drill — the tool
  23. capital — money
  24. plane — a tool

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