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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. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. plane — a tool
  3. bass — low music
  4. net — for catching
  5. net — after costs
  6. saw — the tool
  7. ground — a position
  8. net — in sport
  9. ground — the earth
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. ground — crushed
  18. perch — the fish
  19. bass — the fish
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. saw — the tool
  24. hide — to keep secret

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